Christine Korsgaard's "Self-Constitution" argues that the primary function of any action is to establish the agency and identity of the person performing it. Drawing on Plato, Aristotle, and Kant, she posits that rational beings are aware of and control the principles guiding their actions. A "good action" is defined by its ability to make the agent an autonomous and effective cause of their own conduct, aligning with Kant's categorical and hypothetical imperatives, respectively. By determining the effects they will have in the world, individuals simultaneously shape their identities.
The book develops a theory of action and interaction, proposing that integrity is essential for agency. Korsgaard contends that only morally good actions fulfill the fundamental purpose of self-constitution. This perspective grounds practical reason and moral obligation in the concept of an action's intrinsic quality as an action, analogous to understanding a heart's function to judge its goodness.
Key concepts
- Self-constitution — The process by which an action establishes the agency and identity of the person performing it.
- Autonomous cause — An agent's ability to act in accordance with self-imposed rational principles, reflecting Kant's categorical imperative.
- Efficacious cause — An agent's ability to produce intended effects in the world, reflecting Kant's hypothetical imperative.
- Integrity — A state of wholeness and consistency Korsgaard argues is essential for robust agency.
- Good action (as an action) — An action that successfully fulfills its inherent function of self-constitution.