Question 3: What, according to Michael Bratman, is shared intention? Why, if at all, do we need a theory of shared intention?
Hints
Check the glossary entry on shared intention and The Problem of Joint Action.
Please also follow the general instructions for Short Essay Questions.
Reading
If you are following the lecture notes and seminars, you should already know what to read. You do not need to consult this list. This is only for people coming to the assignment without using the lecture notes (not recommended).
Further Reading
Where to Find the Reading?
In some cases the references section already includes a link to help you find the reading.
If there is no link in the references section,
start by searching for the title (and, if that fails, by title and authors)
on google scholar.
If this fails, the library has resources.
If those fail, please check first with others on the course.
If you still have problems, you may email your seminar tutor.
Glossary
shared intention :
An attitude that stands to joint action as ordinary, individual intention stands to
ordinary, individual action.
It is hard to find consensus on what shared intention is, but most agree
that it is neither shared nor intention.
(Variously called ‘collective’, ‘we-’ and ‘joint’ intention.)
The Problem of Joint Action :
What distinguishes doing something jointly with another person from acting in
parallel with them but merely side by side?
References
Bratman, M. E. (1992). Shared cooperative activity.
The Philosophical Review,
101(2), 327–341.
Bratman, M. E. (1993). Shared intention.
Ethics,
104, 97–113.
Bratman, M. E. (2014).
Shared agency: A planning theory of acting together. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from
http://0-dx.doi.org.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199897933.001.0001Gilbert, M. P. (2010). Collective action. In T. O’Connor & C. Sandis (Eds.),
A companion to the philosophy of action (pp. 67–73). Oxford: Blackwell.
Ludwig, K. (2007). Collective intentional behavior from the standpoint of semantics.
Nous,
41(3), 355–393.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0068.2007.00652.x