Further Questions about the Basic Distinction between Intention and Belief
In this chapter, subtleties in the distinguishing of intention from belief are explored. These subtleties are different depending on whether one is talking about intention or belief with respect to a consequence of one’s action, or whether one is talking about intention or belief with respect to the circumstances in which one acted. With respect to consequences, the problem of “closeness” is explored, which is the problem of whether when one intends some state of affairs, such as hitting a glass with a rock, and that hitting is “close” to the glass breaking, one necessarily intends the breaking of the glass. With regard to circumstances, the problem is whether one only intends the circumstances that motivate one to act or whether in addition one intends all those circumstances that figure in the actor’s own description of what it is that he is doing.