Of God and His Creatures
The presence of a dear friend as a guest at my table is to me an object
at once of will and of intention. The presence of a
stranger who accompanies my friend, and without whom my friend would
not have come, is to me an object of will, but not of
intention. I should not have invited that gentleman by himself.
Volition then extends to three acts. --
- (a) Intention, boulêsis (Eth. Nic. III,
iv, 7-9), of the end willed for its own sake: observe, this use
is quite apart from the distinction made in English philosophy between
intention and motive.
- (b) Choice, proairesis (Eth. Nic. III, iv, 9)
of means to the end.
- (c) Acceptance of circumstances attached to the end, or more
usually to the means, but not in themselves regarded either as
good, as in the end, or useful, as in the
means.
I have endeavoured to bring out the practical importance of these
distinction in my Ethics and Natural Law, pp. 31-35, 203-208,
222-224.
Of God and His Creatures: 3.5