How We Hope (ebook)

Argumento de How We Hope (ebook)

"Hope is an important yet recently neglected philosophical topic. Hope plays a central role in our daily plans, and in the ways we face upheaval, illness, and loss. But is hope rational? Does it do any good? Martin's fresh look at these questions is insightful, rigorously and resourcefully argued, and genuinely illuminating. A further strength is the book's serious engagement with Kant, Hume, and other historical thinkers."--Martha C. Nussbaum, University of Chicago

"Adrienne Martin decidedly advances our understanding of an elusive piece of human experience thinkers have reflected upon for centuries. Deftly integrating, and then exceeding, the litany of thought that has preceded her, she offers a compelling original account not of what we hope for, or even of whether we should hope, but of what we are doing when we hope. A finely honed model of philosophical argument, this beautifully written, accessible, and compassionate work will engross and enlighten people from across the academic disciplines, as well as the interested casual reader."--Susan Sugarman, Princeton University

"Martin develops a strikingly original analysis of what hope involves in terms of the kind of justification one is prepared to give for fantasizing about, making plans to achieve, and positively anticipating the hoped for outcome. Her book is rich with insights and is the most sophisticated and extensive philosophical analysis of hope available."--Cheshire Calhoun, Arizona State University

"This thought-provoking and well-crafted book makes an important contribution to the literature on the underdiscussed notion of hope. The origin of the work in the author's experiences in the medical arena is compellingly described, and the analysis that follows is creative and original. How We Hope will be a valuable resource for philosophers and psychologists alike."--Andrew Chignell, Cornell University

"[A] short but substantial tome. . . . Anyone who is interested in the ethics of hope will find a great deal of valuable insight in this book."--Ben Sherman, Philosophy in Review

"Inspired by her work with terminally ill cancer patients, Martin provides a valuable analysis of hope that makes excellent use of the tools of analytic philosophy, recent work in neuropsychology, and the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and Gabriel Marcel."--Choice0Acknowledgments ix
INTRODUCTION What Is Hope? 1
Questions about Hope 1
The Orthodox Definition and Its Critics 4
Hope as a Syndrome 6
The Incorporation Analysis 7
Summary of Chapters 8
CHAPTER 1 Beyond the Orthodox Definition of Hope 11
The Orthodox Definition in the Modern Period 11
The Orthodox Definition in Recent Philosophy 13
Challenge Cases 14
First Analysis: Luc Bovens and Mental Imaging 17
Second Analysis: Ariel Meirav and External Factors 19
Third Analysis: Philip Pettit and Cognitive Resolve 20
Final Analysis: Incorporation 24
Hopeful Thoughts: Fantasy 25
Hopeful Feelings: Anticipation 29
Summary 34
CHAPTER 2 Incorporation 35
Understanding Mental States through Their Fundamental Norms 36
Two Constraints on Reasons 38
Normative Governance Requires Deliberative Responsiveness 38
Deliberation Constrains Reasons 41
The Licensing Stance 44
The Transparency of Doxastic Deliberation to Evidence 46
Putting Transparency and Deliberation Constrains Reasons Together 48
Practical Deliberation about the Licensing Stance 48
The Other Part of the Incorporation Element: Treating Desire as a Practical Reason 52
The Inadequacy of Monist Theories of Motivation 54
The Dualist Theory: Subrational and Rational Motivational Representations 58
Hope as Incorporation 61
Hoping and End-Setting 64
Cases: Hoping without End-Setting 66
The End-Setting Conception's Inability to Accommodate These Cases 67
Conclusion: A Unified Theory of Hope and the Worry about Excessive Reflectiveness 69
CHAPTER 3 Suicide and Sustenance 72
Virtue and Sustenance 72
The First Extreme: Aquinas and Irascible Hope 75
The Thomistic "Inner Cathedral" 76
The Concupiscible and Irascible Passions 77
The Second Extreme: Calhoun and Seconding Practical Commitment 82
Hopeful Fantasies and Sustenance 85
Contingent Sustenance 91
An Example: "Self-Help" and Self-Sabotage 94
Summary 96
CHAPTER 4 Faith and Sustenance without Contingency 98
Chief Plenty Coups and Unimaginable Hope 98
Kant on the Highest Good and Morally Obligatory Hope 101
The Transformation of Hope into Faith 105
Marcel's Hope 108
Grounding Hope in Love 111
The Possibility of Secular Faith 114
Summary 117
CHAPTER 5 Normative Hope 118
Strawson and the Reactive Attitudes 118
Mapping the Territory: Interpersonal Relations 121
Gratitude, Disappointment, and Normative Hope 125
Hope for the Vicious 136
Summary 140
CONCLUSION Human Passivity, Agency, and Hope 141
Index 147