This chapter sketches a view about how paradigmatic weak-willed actions are produced that it contrasts with competing views, including some ancient views. Along the way, it explores the entanglement of weakness of will with such issues as how our intentional actions are to be explained, the power of practical reasoning and practical evaluative judgments, the nature of intentions, the motivational strength of desires, decision-making, self-control, and free will. Also discussed are scientific work on the motivational significance of different ways of representing the objects of our desires and of increased subjective proximity of potential desire satisfaction and the relationship between weakness of will and akrasia.

{"container_title":"The Oxford Handbook of Moral Psychology","first_page":348,"last_page":363,"publisher":"Oxford University Press"}