Weakness of Will
Updated 2026-09-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Weakness of will occurs when an agent knows one option is better yet still chooses the worse one. The entry fixes its special character by contrast: Julie chose the more expensive Paris over the cheaper Peoria, which is unsurprising; Jimmy, knowing one option is healthier, chose the other instead, which is the genuine case. The puzzle is conceptual, since if agents always acted on the best judgment they hold, weakness of will would be impossible.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Conflict location: distinguish knowingly failing to do what is better from a mere error of judgment. - Judgment qualification: check whether the agent acts on an all-things-considered judgment or one holding only in a certain respect. - Situation precommitment: change incentives and execution conditions in advance, to reduce vacillation in the moment.
Anchor fast decisions
The difficulty comes from a conflict among principles of practical reasoning: if a person always acts on what she judges to be the best reason, weakness of will is conceptually impossible. The Davidsonian solution distinguishes unconditional judgments from judgments holding only in a certain respect, so that the judgment the agent acts on can be a limited one, accommodating weakness of will while keeping reasons as explanations.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- plato.stanford.eduhttps://plato.stanford.edu/entries/weakness-will/verified
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