Resolutions provide reasons or: “how the Cookie Monster quit cookies”

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Why should we typically act in accordance with our resolutions when faced with the temptation to do otherwise? A much-maligned view suggests that we should do so because resolutions themselves provide us with reasons for action. We defend a version of this view, on which resolutions provide <jats:italic>second-order</jats:italic> reasons. This account avoids the objections typically taken to be fatal for the view that resolutions are reasons, including the prominent bootstrapping objections.</jats:p>