Planning, Time, and Self-Governance: Essays in Practical Rationality

Planning, Time, and Self-Governance brings together Michael Bratman's work on the nature of human agency and rational action. The essays examine how planning and temporally extended agency shape human rationality and self-governance. Bratman develops his planning theory of intention and agency through interconnected discussions of commitment, rational stability, and self-governance. His framework shows how future-directed intentions and plans serve as anchors for practical reasoning and action over time. The collection analyzes core philosophical questions about the relationship between time, rationality, and human agency. Bratman demonstrates the essential role of planning in enabling both individual autonomy and shared cooperative activities. The work contributes to fundamental debates about practical reason while highlighting the distinctively temporal and social dimensions of human rationality. Through careful philosophical analysis, Bratman illuminates the deep connections between planning, temporality, and human self-governance.

There are limited public reader reviews available for this academic philosophy text. Readers appreciated: - Clear explanations of Bratman's planning theory of intention and agency - Builds systematically on his prior work about shared agency - Useful for scholars researching practical rationality and decision-making - Addresses core questions about human rationality and behavior Common critiques: - Dense academic writing style limits accessibility for general readers - Assumes familiarity with philosophical terminology and concepts - Some redundancy between chapters Available Ratings: Goodreads: No ratings Amazon: No customer reviews Google Books: No reader reviews The book appears to be primarily used in academic settings and graduate-level philosophy courses rather than by general readers. Most discussion occurs in academic journals and philosophy forums rather than consumer review sites. Note: This summary is limited by the scarcity of public reader reviews for this specialized academic text.

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🔸 Michael Bratman developed the influential "planning theory of intention," which explains how our ability to make future plans is fundamental to human rationality and distinguishes us from other species. 🔸 The book expands on ideas Bratman first explored in his 1987 work "Intention, Plans, and Practical Reason," which has become a cornerstone text in philosophy of action and artificial intelligence research. 🔸 Bratman's theories about planning and intention have been applied beyond philosophy into the field of artificial intelligence, particularly in developing autonomous agents and robots that can plan and reason about their actions. 🔸 The author has spent over 40 years at Stanford University, where he is currently the U.G. and Abbie Birch Durfee Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Philosophy Department. 🔸 The book tackles the "marathon runner's akrasia" - a philosophical puzzle about how someone can form an intention to run a marathon, yet fail to follow through despite no new information or change in circumstances.