An Argument for Minimalism about Action

Minimalism is the view that the mark of action is object‐causation, rather than intentionality, voluntariness or goal‐directedness. Actions, on this view, are instances of objects causing change. Despite a recent surge of interest in the view, it is still seldom regarded as a serious alternative to orthodox theories of action, according to which action is, by its nature, intentional, voluntary, or, more broadly, a psychological phenomenon. This paper argues that it should. It provides a simple argument for regarding minimalism as the default view of the nature of action.