Research Group
in Analytic Philosophy

Abstract

Staying still, fasting, and not voting are cases of bodily omissions. In this paper, I argue that another type of omission that hasn’t been extensively considered in the literature should also be considered to explain agency: mental omissions. Not paying attention to a stimulus, not remembering something, not reasoning about an argument are examples of mental omission. A complete account of our agency should include both our intentional bodily and mental omissions as well as our bodily and mental actions. Thus, this paper aims to characterize intentional mental omissions based on the literature both on bodily omission and mental action.