Overeating, Obesity, and Weakness of the Will

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dc.contributor.authorSommers, Jennifer Heidrun
dc.contributor.supervisorHolder, Cindy
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-28T17:49:14Z
dc.date.available2015-08-28T17:49:14Z
dc.date.copyright2015en_US
dc.date.issued2015-08-28
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Philosophyen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts M.A.en_US
dc.description.abstractThe philosophical literature on akrasia and/or weakness of the will tends to focus on individual actions, removed from their wider socio-political context. This is problematic because actions, when removed from their wider context, can seem absurd or irrational when they may, in fact, be completely rational or, at least, coherent. Much of akrasia's apparent mystery or absurdity is eliminated when people's behaviours are considered within their cultural and political context. I apply theories from the social and behavioural sciences to a particular behaviour in order to show where the philosophical literature on akrasia and/or weakness of the will is insightful and where it is lacking. The problem used as the basis for my analysis is obesity caused by overeating. On the whole, I conclude that our intuitions about agency are unreliable, that we may have good reasons to overeat and/or neglect our health, and that willpower is, to some degree, a matter of luck.en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0630en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0573en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0422en_US
dc.description.proquestemailfelshereeno@aol.comen_US
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduateen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/6589
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/*
dc.subjectakrasiaen_US
dc.subjectaction theoryen_US
dc.subjectaddictionen_US
dc.subjectagencyen_US
dc.subjectAlison McIntyreen_US
dc.subjectapplied ethicsen_US
dc.subjectBernard Williamsen_US
dc.subjectbody studiesen_US
dc.subjectBourdieuen_US
dc.subjectCartesian dualismen_US
dc.subjectChristine Korsgaarden_US
dc.subjectcompulsionen_US
dc.subjectcontinenceen_US
dc.subjectdevianceen_US
dc.subjectdieten_US
dc.subjectDistinctionen_US
dc.subjectDonald Davidsonen_US
dc.subjectdualismen_US
dc.subjectexternalismen_US
dc.subjectincontinenceen_US
dc.subjectinequalityen_US
dc.subjectinternalismen_US
dc.subjectintuitionen_US
dc.subjectIrving K. Zolaen_US
dc.subjectMarxen_US
dc.subjectmedicalizationen_US
dc.subjectmoralityen_US
dc.subjectNichomachean Ethicsen_US
dc.subjectNomy Arpalyen_US
dc.subjectobesity epidemicen_US
dc.subjectorthorexiaen_US
dc.subjectovereatingen_US
dc.subjectoverweighten_US
dc.subjectpersonal identityen_US
dc.subjectPetr Skrabaneken_US
dc.subjectPhilip Kitcheren_US
dc.subjectphilosophical intuitionen_US
dc.subjectpicoeconomicsen_US
dc.subjectPierre Bourdieuen_US
dc.subjectfaten_US
dc.subjectfree willen_US
dc.subjectGary Watsonen_US
dc.subjectGeorge Ainslieen_US
dc.subjecthabitusen_US
dc.subjecthealthismen_US
dc.subjectrat parken_US
dc.subjectrational choiceen_US
dc.subjectrationalityen_US
dc.subjectRichard Holtonen_US
dc.subjectRobert Crawforden_US
dc.subjectsocial classen_US
dc.subjectstigmaen_US
dc.subjecttaste for luxuryen_US
dc.subjecttemperanceen_US
dc.subjectutility maximizationen_US
dc.subjectvirtueen_US
dc.subjectweakness of the willen_US
dc.subjectwillpoweren_US
dc.titleOvereating, Obesity, and Weakness of the Willen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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