Imperativism

Abstract

This chapter analyses imperativism in three ways. First by shared features with ordinary linguistic imperatives, second by consideration of the biological role of pain, Third by imperativism’s philosophical advantages. Imperativism is a relatively new position, with only a few defenders in print. Imperativism faces both empirical and philosophical challenges. As imperativism is intended to make pains intrinsically motivating, such cases are potentially devastating. They are hardest for pure imperativists to deal with. Hybrid imperativists can arguably avail themselves of the usual response: that non-motivating pains are one half of a double dissociation between the sensory and motivational aspects of pain. Imperativism is a young theory. It is also a theory worth taking seriously. It provides a clean link between the phenomenal feel and the biological role of pains. Show more