Williams on Internal Reason for Action

Abstract

In this paper, I will focus on Bernard Williams' discussion on reasons for action. He takes a position called ‘internalism’, and claims that a statement ‘A has a reason to φ' is true if and only if there is a sound deliberative route from A's subjective motivational set to A's φ-ing. I will examine the necessary connection between this ‘internal reason statement’ and an agent's motivational state, and show why internal reasons have normative force. Then, I will suggest that statements which Williams calls ‘external reason statement’ can be well interpreted if we take them as a kind of advice or recommendation.