Key Takeaways
1. Aspiration is a distinct form of agency aimed at acquiring new values
Aspiration, as I understand it, is the distinctive form of agency directed at the acquisition of values.
Value acquisition process. Aspiration is not merely a decision or a passive transformation, but a deliberate and extended process of acquiring new values. This process involves:
- Recognizing a deficiency in one's current values
- Working towards appreciating and embodying new values
- Engaging in activities that gradually develop new preferences and interests
Distinction from other forms of agency. Aspiration differs from:
- Self-cultivation: which develops existing values
- Ambition: which pursues goals based on current values
- Passive transformation: where change occurs without intentional effort
Aspirants act with incomplete knowledge of their end goal, guided by an evolving understanding of the value they seek to acquire. This unique characteristic sets aspiration apart as a form of agency that bridges present limitations and future potentials.
2. Proleptic reasons guide aspirational pursuits, bridging present and future selves
Proleptic reasons are provisional in a way that reflects the provisionality of the agent's own knowledge and development: her inchoate, anticipatory, and indirect grasp of some good she is trying to know better.
Dual nature of proleptic reasons. Proleptic reasons have two faces:
- Proximate: reflecting current motivations and understanding
- Distal: anticipating future values and perspectives
Rationality of aspiration. Traditional decision theory struggles to account for aspirational pursuits because:
- It assumes fixed preferences
- It requires clear knowledge of outcomes
Proleptic reasons allow for rational action towards values not yet fully grasped. They explain how aspirants can act rationally while acknowledging the incompleteness of their current understanding.
Learning process. Aspiration is a form of practical learning where:
- The agent acts to acquire knowledge of value
- Actions are guided by an evolving grasp of the target value
- The full justification for actions may only become clear at the end of the process
3. Intrinsic conflicts arise when values clash, requiring resolution through aspiration
Intrinsic conflicts are resolved by aspiration. Aspiration is the diachronic process by which an agent effects change on her own ethical point of view.
Nature of intrinsic conflicts. Intrinsic conflicts occur when:
- An agent holds incompatible values or evaluative perspectives
- These values cannot be reconciled through deliberation
- The agent cannot fully inhabit both perspectives simultaneously
Limitations of deliberation. Traditional deliberation fails to resolve intrinsic conflicts because:
- It requires a unified evaluative standpoint
- Intrinsic conflicts divide the agent's evaluative perspective
Aspirational resolution. Aspiration resolves intrinsic conflicts by:
- Gradually shifting the agent's evaluative perspective
- Working towards a more coherent set of values
- Allowing for the development of new ways of seeing and valuing
This process is not instantaneous but unfolds over time as the agent works to transform their ethical outlook.
4. Akrasia reveals the complexity of our value systems and the need for aspirational change
Akratics act from a grasp of value, however partial. Aspirants act toward a grasp of value.
Reinterpreting akrasia. Akrasia (weakness of will) is best understood as:
- A manifestation of intrinsic conflict
- Acting from a subordinate evaluative perspective
- Not merely acting against one's better judgment
Akrasia vs. aspiration. The key difference:
- Akratics act from their current, conflicted value system
- Aspirants work to change their value system
Implications for self-understanding. Recognizing akrasia as intrinsic conflict:
- Reveals the complexity of our motivational structures
- Highlights the potential for aspirational change
- Shows that resolving deep-seated conflicts requires more than just willpower
Understanding akrasia in this way points to the need for aspirational efforts to resolve fundamental value conflicts and achieve greater coherence in our ethical outlooks.
5. Self-creation through aspiration challenges traditional notions of character formation
Aspiration is that form of agency in which one acts upon oneself to create a self with substantively new values.
Limitations of traditional models. Two common models of self-creation fall short:
- Self-endorsement: Can't explain acquisition of genuinely new values
- Self-cultivation: Faces a regress problem in explaining the origin of values
Aspirational self-creation. The aspirational model proposes that:
- The created self (S2) is normatively prior to the creating self (S1)
- S1 looks up to and tries to understand S2, rather than controlling or shaping it
- This reversal avoids the regress problem and explains genuine value acquisition
Teleological agency. Aspirational self-creation involves:
- Acting towards a future self not yet fully understood
- Guided by an evolving grasp of the values of that future self
- A form of agency that doesn't fit neatly into traditional action theory
This model explains how we can create ourselves in ways that go beyond our current values and understanding.
6. Moral responsibility for character stems from our aspirational efforts or lack thereof
We are responsible for good ways that we are to the degree that we aspired to be in those ways, and bad ones to the degree that we culpably failed to aspire to be better.
Asymmetrical account of responsibility. This view proposes that:
- We are responsible for good character traits we acquire through aspiration
- We are responsible for bad character traits due to culpable failure to aspire
Factors affecting responsibility. The degree of responsibility depends on:
- The extent of our aspirational efforts
- Environmental factors that support or hinder aspiration
- Our access to resources and guidance for self-improvement
Implications for blame and praise. This account:
- Explains why we mitigate blame for those with severely deprived backgrounds
- Justifies greater praise for those who overcome significant obstacles
- Maintains a role for personal responsibility while acknowledging external factors
This nuanced view of responsibility acknowledges both personal agency and environmental influences in character formation.
7. Aspiration is a social process, requiring support and guidance from others
Aspirants do the work of becoming new people, but they cannot typically do this work alone.
Social nature of aspiration. Aspiration depends on:
- Teachers, mentors, and role models
- Supportive environments that encourage growth
- Access to communities that embody the target values
Implications for understanding responsibility. This social aspect:
- Explains why isolation can impede moral development
- Highlights the importance of educational and social institutions
- Suggests a collective responsibility for creating conditions that support aspiration
Personal and social dimensions. Successful aspiration involves:
- Individual effort and commitment
- Openness to guidance and influence from others
- Participation in practices and communities that embody target values
Recognizing the social nature of aspiration underscores the importance of creating supportive environments for personal growth and moral development.
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FAQ
What is Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard about?
- Explores rational self-transformation: The book investigates how individuals can rationally acquire new values and become different kinds of persons through a process called aspiration.
- Challenges fixed-value models: Callard critiques the traditional philosophical view that values are fixed and cannot be chosen or changed by decision alone.
- Focuses on agency and value-learning: She presents aspiration as a distinctive form of practical rationality, involving gradual self-creation and value acquisition.
- Addresses broad philosophical issues: The book connects aspiration to topics like moral psychology, practical rationality, akrasia, and moral responsibility.
Why should I read Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard?
- Unique perspective on self-change: The book offers a novel framework for understanding how people can rationally change their core values and identity.
- Bridges theory and experience: Callard uses real-life examples, classical philosophy, and contemporary debates to make aspiration accessible and relevant.
- Addresses practical dilemmas: Readers interested in ethics, motivation, and personal growth will find new tools for thinking about responsibility and self-creation.
- Challenges prevailing models: The book critiques standard decision-theoretic accounts, offering a richer view of rational agency.
What are the key takeaways from Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard?
- Aspiration as agency: Value acquisition is an active, rational process, not just something that happens to us.
- Proleptic reasons: Agents can act for reasons that anticipate values they do not yet fully possess, enabling rational transformative pursuits.
- Intrinsic conflict and akrasia: The book provides a new account of internal conflict and weakness of will, linking them to the aspirational process.
- Moral responsibility for self-creation: Callard argues that we can be responsible for who we become through our aspirational efforts.
What is the concept of "aspiration" in Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard?
- Definition of aspiration: Aspiration is the rational, agent-driven process of acquiring new values or deepening existing ones over time.
- Distinct from ambition: Unlike ambition, which pursues goals already valued, aspiration seeks to come to value something not yet fully understood.
- Involves action and learning: The aspirant engages in activities and experiences that gradually transform her evaluative outlook.
- Central to ethical development: Aspiration is presented as the engine of ethical self-creation and personal growth.
How does Agnes Callard distinguish between aspiration and ambition in Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming?
- Aspiration defined: Aspiration involves striving to acquire or deepen appreciation for values not yet fully grasped, requiring learning and transformation.
- Ambition defined: Ambition is the pursuit of goals whose value is already fully understood and endorsed, such as wealth or status.
- Transformative vs. non-transformative: Aspiration changes who the agent is, while ambition satisfies existing values without altering the agent’s evaluative outlook.
- Philosophical significance: Callard argues that aspiration requires a distinct theoretical treatment, as it cannot be reduced to ambition or standard decision-making.
What are "proleptic reasons" in Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard?
- Definition and function: Proleptic reasons are anticipatory reasons that motivate agents to act toward acquiring values or desires they do not yet fully possess.
- Double-faced nature: These reasons have a proximate face (appealing to current motivations) and a distal face (reflecting the value the agent aspires to acquire).
- Resolve rationality paradox: Proleptic reasons explain how one can rationally pursue something whose full value is not yet accessible.
- Essential for aspiration: Callard argues that proleptic reasons are necessary to make sense of large-scale transformative pursuits.
How does Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard challenge traditional decision theory?
- Critique of stable preferences: Callard argues that decision theory’s assumption of fixed preferences cannot accommodate transformative value changes.
- Limits of the decision model: Standard models treat transformation as a momentary choice, whereas aspiration is a temporally extended, agent-driven process.
- Role of proleptic reasons: The book introduces proleptic reasons to explain rational agency in transformative pursuits, which decision theory cannot account for.
- Alternative to "picking": Callard critiques views that treat transformative choices as arbitrary, showing that aspiration involves genuine value-learning.
What is intrinsic conflict, and how does it relate to akrasia in Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard?
- Definition of intrinsic conflict: Intrinsic conflict arises when an agent’s evaluative perspectives are incommensurable and cannot be resolved through deliberation.
- Connection to akrasia: Callard links akrasia (weakness of will) to intrinsic conflict, where the agent acts on reasons excluded from her all-things-considered judgment.
- Avoids double-counting problem: By modeling akrasia as intrinsic conflict, Callard explains why akratic actions are intentional yet irrational without double-counting reasons.
- Highlights complexity of self-transformation: Intrinsic conflict is central to the aspirational process, as agents are often torn between current and aspirational values.
How does Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard explain the process of self-creation and ethical identity?
- Ethical self as values: Callard defines the ethical self in terms of values, commitments, and evaluative attitudes with moral significance.
- Self-creation through aspiration: Aspiration is the process by which one changes one’s values and thus one’s ethical self.
- Normative dependence: The aspirant’s current self (S1) is guided by the future self (S2) she aims to become, reversing traditional normative priority.
- Hybrid nature of valuing: Valuing involves beliefs, emotions, motivations, and self-monitoring, making self-creation a complex, multi-faceted process.
What is the normative dependence relation between the creator self and the created self in Agnes Callard’s theory of aspiration?
- Normative dependence explained: Norms apply to the current self (S1) because they apply to the future self (S2), who is the source of normativity.
- Reversing normative priority: Unlike traditional models, Callard argues that the future self is normatively prior, providing standards for the current self’s actions.
- Avoids regress problem: This reversal sidesteps the problem of infinite regress in self-creation by grounding authority in the aspirant’s future self.
- Guidance by future self: The aspirant acts under the guidance of the self she is striving to become, not merely her current evaluative outlook.
What ethical implications does Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard draw regarding moral responsibility for self-creation?
- Asymmetrical responsibility: Responsibility for good character is tied to having aspired to it, while responsibility for bad character involves culpable failure to aspire.
- Role of social support: The aspirant’s environment, including mentors and friends, plays a crucial role in enabling or impeding aspiration.
- Mitigating circumstances: Lack of social support or trauma can reduce responsibility for failing to acquire good values, as illustrated by real-life case studies.
- Emphasizes social embeddedness: The book highlights the importance of social context in ethical development and self-creation.
How does Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard illuminate transformative life decisions, such as parenthood and infertility?
- Proleptic reasons and grief: Aspirants can rationally grieve losses like infertility, as the loss is of a future self and value they were striving to acquire.
- Critique of alternative views: Callard challenges accounts that treat transformative choices as arbitrary, arguing that aspiration involves genuine value-learning and identity formation.
- Ethical treatment of aspirants: Recognizing aspiration calls for empathy and support for those undergoing transformative pursuits, such as aspiring parents.
- Highlights vulnerability: The book underscores the vulnerability and social nature of value acquisition in major life transitions.
Review Summary
Aspiration receives mixed reviews, with ratings ranging from 2 to 5 stars. Readers appreciate Callard's exploration of how people acquire new values and become better versions of themselves. Many find the book intellectually stimulating and relevant to personal growth. However, some criticize the dense academic writing style and philosophical jargon, making it challenging for non-specialists. Critics also question certain aspects of Callard's arguments and examples. Despite these concerns, many readers find valuable insights in the book's examination of human transformation and self-improvement.
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