Smith, Benedict (2012) 'Depression and motivation.', Phenomenology and the cognitive sciences., 12 (4). pp. 615-635.
Abstract
Among the characteristic features of depression is a diminishment in or lack of action and motivation. In this paper, I consider a dominant philosophical account which purports to explain this lack of action or motivation. This approach comes in different versions but a common theme is, I argue, an over reliance on psychologistic assumptions about action–explanation and the nature of motivation. As a corrective I consider an alternative view that gives a prominent place to the body in motivation. Central to the experience of depression are changes to how a person is motivated to act and, also as central, are changes to bodily feelings and capacities. I argue that broadly characterizing motivation in terms of bodily capacities can, in particular, provide a more compelling account of depressive motivational pathology.
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Full text: | (AM) Accepted Manuscript Download PDF (440Kb) |
Status: | Peer-reviewed |
Publisher Web site: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11097-012-9264-0 |
Publisher statement: | The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11097-012-9264-0 |
Date accepted: | 29 November 1999 |
Date deposited: | 19 July 2016 |
Date of first online publication: | 03 June 2012 |
Date first made open access: | No date available |
Save or Share this output
Export: | |
Look up in GoogleScholar |