Alfred Mele Quotes

United States, Philosopher
May 22, 1951

Alfred Remen Mele is an American philosopher and the William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is also the Director of the Philosophy and Science of Self-Control Project and past director of the Big Questions in Free Will Project (2010-2013). Mele is the author of ten books and over 200 articles.

Whenever agents act intentionally, there is something they are effectively motivated to do.

Alfred Mele
Motivation is present in the animal kingdom but does not extend throughout it.

Alfred Mele

Motivation varies in strength.

Alfred Mele
A motivation-encompassing attitude may have either a goal or a means as its object.

Alfred Mele
- Goal
- Attitude
- Object
The stronger an agent’s motivation to A is, in comparison to the agent’s motivation for alternative courses of action, the more likely the agent is to A, other things being equal.

Alfred Mele
- Action
- motivation
- Equal
...if there is a widely shared concept of intentional action... a philosophical analysis of intentional action that is wholly unconstrained by that concept runs the risk of having nothing more than a philosophical fiction as its subject matter.

Alfred Mele
- Action
- Risk
- Concept
Motivated beings have a capacity to represent goals and means to goals.

Alfred Mele