Imagination, endogenous attention, and mental agency
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences April 21, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s11097-023-09909-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Agency philosophy Power physics Cognitive psychology Content measure theory Cognitive science Epistemology Metaphysics |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Proposes that basic mental agency is essentially the power to call for conceptual content and hold it within our working memories. |
Abstract
Abstract This paper develops a mechanistic account of basic mental agency by identifying similarities between two of its major exemplars: endogenous attention and imagination. Five key similarities are identified: (i) that both capacities are driven by currently prioritised goals that are either person-level or apt to become person-level. (ii) that both deliver their outputs to the working memory (iii) that both range across all and only conceptual contents; (iv) that both proceed under the guidance of norms and/or habits; and (v) that both directly activate rather than inhibit content. These five features are consolidated by proposing that basic mental agency is essentially the power to call for conceptual content and hold it within our working memories.