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Promising without Intending
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2008
Year
Sincere PromisorsCollective IntentionalityPerformance StudiesBehavioral Decision MakingForesightMotivationAuthority Interest TheorySpeech ActIntention RecognitionStrategyPromise NeedCommunicationArtsAutonomySocial SciencesSocial Responsibility
It is widely held that one who sincerely promises to do something must at least intend to do that thing: a promise communicates the intention to perform. In this paper, I argue that a promise need only communicate the intention to undertake an obligation to perform. I consider examples of sincere promisors who have no intention of performing. I argue that this fits well with what we want to say about other performatives - giving, commanding etc. Furthermore, it supports a theory of promissory obligation which I have advocated elsewhere - the authority interest theory - against the orthodox information interest theory.