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A hard choice for Tomasello.
1University Center for Human Values, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544. ppettit@princeton.eduhttp://www.princeton.edu/~ppettit.
Michael Tomasello explains human obligation through joint action and commitments. His analysis finds existing models by Bratman and Gilbert too complex or too simple for a comprehensive understanding of shared intentionality.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Human obligation is a complex social-cognitive phenomenon.
- Understanding the origins of obligation is key to understanding human cooperation.
- Existing philosophical models offer partial explanations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explain the human sense of obligation.
- To analyze the role of joint action and commitments in developing obligation.
- To evaluate existing theoretical models of joint action.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of philosophical theories.
- Comparative evaluation of models proposed by Michael Bratman and Margaret Gilbert.
- Theoretical framework development for joint action and obligation.
Main Results:
- Michael Tomasello's work proposes a novel explanation for human obligation.
- Bratman's model of joint action presents challenges due to its complexity.
- Gilbert's model of joint action is deemed overly simplistic for explaining obligation.
Conclusions:
- A nuanced understanding of joint action is required to fully explain human obligation.
- Neither Bratman's nor Gilbert's model alone adequately captures the intricacies of obligation.
- Further theoretical development is needed to bridge the gap in explaining shared intentionality and commitment.
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