Philosophy Talk: "Desire and Addiction"
Peter Railton, University of Michigan/Ann Arbor
Location
Performing Arts & Humanities Building : 441
Date & Time
April 6, 2017, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Description
Peter Railton, University of Michigan/Ann Arbor: "Desire and Addiction": Desire is a
fundamental part of our lives, but it remains poorly understood in both
philosophy and psychology. Sometimes it is said that desire competes with
reason for the control of our actions, and that addiction is something like the
limiting case of this phenomenon--a drug-induced desire so strong that it is
irresistible. Yet a growing body of evidence suggests that this is an
inaccurate picture of addiction--it does involve a disorder of desire, but it
is a disorder of a different kind, a regulative failure internal to
desire. Understanding the nature of this failure gives us insight into
why desire is not a competitor to reason, but an essential part of its
effective operation.
Co-Sponsored by Social Sciences Forum and Department of Psychology
