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Willpower needs tactical skill

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2021

Juan Pablo Bermúdez Open the ORCID record for Juan Pablo Bermúdez [Opens in a new window]
Juan Pablo Bermúdez*
Affiliation:
Institut de Philosophie, Université de Neuchâtel, 2000Neuchâtel, [email protected]; https://philpeople.org/profiles/juan-pablo-bermudez Programa de Filosofía & Grupo de Investigación ‘Salud, Conocimiento Médico y Sociedad’, Centro de Investigación sobre Dinámica Social, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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Abstract

Ainslie advances our understanding of self-control by theoretically unifying multiple forms of willpower. But one crucial question remains unanswered: How do agents pick the right forms of willpower in each situation? I argue that willpower requires tactical skill, which detects willpower-demanding contexts, selects context-appropriate tactics, and monitors their implementation. Research on tactical skill will significantly advance our understanding of willpower.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 44 , 2021 , e32
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Creative Commons
The target article and response article are works of the U.S. Government and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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