Practical reasoning and acceptance in a context

Abstract

I argue that the cognitive attitudes guiding practical reasoning and action go beyond our beliefs and include context-relative acceptance. Various kinds of practical pressures can sometimes make it reasonable for an agent to accept a proposition in a given context, even though she reasonably would not (or, indeed, does not) accept that proposition in a different context in which it is relevant. Such reasonable acceptance need not include all of what one believes; nor need it be limited to what one believes; nor can it be identified with mere supposition or mere pretence. We should distinguish such context-relative acceptance from belief, and we should make room for both in our model of practical reasoning.