Two Varieties of Akrasia
Two Varieties of Akrasia

Summary/Abstract: Akrasia or “moral weakness” involves acting contrary to what one normal-ly believes to be the best or right course of action. I begin by offering a generaldefinition of akrasia to cover all instances of the phenomenon. I then argue thatthere are two varieties of akrasia that fall under this general definition. Thefirst, which I call “Greek akrasia,” involves a failure of belief at the moment ofaction, whereas the second, which I call “Augustinian akrasia,” involvesa failure of will. The crux of the matter is whether one maintains one’s ordinarybelief about the right thing to do at the moment of action and yet wills to actcontrary to that belief, or whether one’s beliefs shift around such that they areobscured or misconstrued at the moment of action.

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