Skip to main content

Introduction: Theory of Efficient Action—The Task of Reinterpretation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Tadeusz Kotarbiński’s Action Theory
  • 158 Accesses

Abstract

A brief introduction to the book. After sketching the role of the talk of effectiveness and efficiency in contemporary culture and science, the chapter focuses on the philosophy of action, which appears as a good candidate for theoretical explorations of the questions of effectiveness and efficiency. It states that Tadeusz Kotarbiński’s action theory is exceptional in this respect in the sense that there is no other example of a theory in the contemporary philosophy of action which would try to explicitly study these issues. It suggests that Kotarbiński’s proposal can be seen in this context as both pioneering and attractive.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    More precise definitions are introduced in Chaps. 2 and 3.

  2. 2.

    References to all these titles (in order of appearance): Huffmire and Holmes (2006), Michaud and Michaud (2008), Adair (2009), Weiss (2007), Cameron (2010), Lee (2001), Murdock and Scutt (1997), Gulick (1907), Covey (2004), and Yablo (2010).

References

  • Adair, J. (2009). Effective leadership. How to be a successful leader (Rev. ed.). London: Pan Macmillan Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, K. S. (Ed.). (2010). Organizational effectiveness. Cheltenham/Northampton: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Covey, S. R. (2004). The seven habits of highly effective people. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulick, L. H. (1907). Efficient life. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huffmire, D. W., & Holmes, J. D. (2006). Handbook of effective management. Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C. J. (2001). Effective speaking and presentation. Program Manager, 30(1), 32–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makowski, P. T. (2015). Praxiology meets planning theory of intention. Kotarbiński and Bratman on plans. In P. Makowski, M. Bonecki, & K. Nowak-Posadzy (Eds.), Praxiology and the reasons for action (pp. 43–71). New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makowski, P. T. (forthcoming). Shared agency and intentionality. A praxiological view. In R. K. Panda (Ed.), Self-knowledge and moral identity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makowski, P. T. (2016b). Reasons for being flexible. Desires, intentions, and plans. In T. Airaksinen (Ed.), Desire--The concept and its practical context (pp. 59–78). New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makowski, P. T. (2016a). Intention inertia and the plasticity of planning. Philosophical Psychology DOI:10.1080/09515089.2016.1213799.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mele, A. R. (2009). Effective intentions: The power of conscious will. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Michaud, R. O., & Michaud, R. O. (2008). Efficient asset management. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdock, A., & Scutt, C. N. (1997). Personal effectiveness (2nd ed.). Oxford/Boston: Butterworth & Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, M. (2007). Efficient organizational design. Basingstoke/New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Yablo, S. (2010). The seven habits of highly effective thinkers. In B. Elevitch (Ed.), The Proceedings of the Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy (pp. 35–45). Philosophy Documentation Center.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Makowski, P.T. (2017). Introduction: Theory of Efficient Action—The Task of Reinterpretation. In: Tadeusz Kotarbiński’s Action Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40051-8_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics