Smith, TH;
(2006)
The metaphysics of corporate agency.
Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
In Chapter 1, I defend "the first thesis", which is that expressions of the form '.decided to q{dollar}, '.wished to , '_intended to qj and '_believed that p' may be used to truly say something about something that the expression 'the East India Company' may be used to pick out. In Chapter 2, I defend "the second thesis", which is stronger than the first thesis, and which is that an individual i that is picked out by a standard use of the expression 'the East India Company' is such that expressions of the form '.decided to qj, '_wished to (p, '.intended to {dollar} and '.believed that p' may be used to truly say something about i. In Chapter 3,1 defend "the third thesis", which is stronger than the second thesis, and which is that an individual i that is picked out by a standard use of the expression 'the East India Company' is such that expressions of the form '.decided to (0, '.wished to q{rcub}, '.intended to {dollar} and '.believed that p' may be used in the senses in which they may be used to truly say something about a human person to truly say something about i. In Chapter 4, I try to assuage perplexity as to how it is possible that the third thesis is true, by telling a likely story as to how a situation in which no decision, wish, intention or belief is made or had by anything that is not a human person might evolve into one in which the East India Company makes decisions, and has wishes, intentions and beliefs (in the senses in which a human person may make and have such things). In a postscript, I sketch an explanation of why we are justified in thinking that the Company had a diminished range of mental capacities.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Title: | The metaphysics of corporate agency |
| Identifier: | PQ ETD:593245 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Thesis digitised by ProQuest. Third party copyright material has been removed from the ethesis. Images identifying individuals have been redacted or partially redacted to protect their identity. |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1445921 |
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