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‘the team intention ... is in part expressed by "We are executing a pass play." But ... no individual member of the team has this as the entire content of his intention, for no one can execute a pass play by himself.’
(Searle, 1990, pp. 92--3)
 
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\subsection{slide-6}

the own-action condition:

‘it is always true that the subject of an intention is the intended agent of the intended activity’

(Bratman, 2014, p. 13) [Note that Bratman *denies* this claim.]
 
Bratman rejects the own-action condition. He notes that there are cases in which it seems I can intend things which involve others’ actions (e.g. I can intend that my son tidy his room). In his 2015 book (chapter 3, section 1), Bratman considers two arguments for it which do not seem to succeed. I follow Bratman in thinking that there is no reason to accept the own-action condition.
 
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Is the ‘own action’ condition a genuine requirement on intending.
 
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So are we done with the objections? Not quite!
 
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A further problem arises from Velleman’s observation about intentions ...
 
the settle condition:
 
‘intentions . . . are the attitudes that resolve deliberative questions, thereby settling issues’
(Velleman, 1997, p. 32)
 
If we accept the settle condition, then there is a challenge to Bratman: I can only rationally and knowingly intend that we paint if I can settle whether we paint; and likewise for you. But it seems that, in many ordinary cases, I can’t unilaterally settle whether we paint. So, it seems, I can’t intend that we paint without relevant irrationality or ignorance. (Bratman, 2014, pp. 64--5)
 
How can we meet this challenge?
 
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\subsection{slide-15}

A solution?:

(a) if we both do as we intend, we will paint

 
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(b) our intentions that we paint are interdependent*

 
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Strictly speaking, what is required is persistence interdependence ...
 
Our intentions have _persistence interdependence_ just if (a) each of us ‘will continue so to intend if, but only if the other continues so to intend’ and (b) ‘there is this interdepen­dence because each will know whether or not the other continues so to intend, and each will adjust to this knowledge in a way that involves responsiveness to norms of individual plan-theoretic rationality.’ (Bratman, 2014, p. 65)
 
‘the team intention ... is in part expressed by "We are executing a pass play." But ... no individual member of the team has this as the entire content of his intention, for no one can execute a pass play by himself.’
(Searle, 1990, pp. 92--3)
 

the own-action condition:

‘it is always true that the subject of an intention is the intended agent of the intended activity’

(Bratman, 2014, p. 13) [Note that Bratman *denies* this claim.]
 
the settle condition:
 
‘intentions . . . are the attitudes that resolve deliberative questions, thereby settling issues’
(Velleman, 1997, p. 32)
 

A solution?:

(a) if we both do as we intend, we will paint

 

(b) our intentions that we paint are interdependent*

 
Our intentions have _persistence interdependence_ just if (a) each of us ‘will continue so to intend if, but only if the other continues so to intend’ and (b) ‘there is this interdepen­dence because each will know whether or not the other continues so to intend, and each will adjust to this knowledge in a way that involves responsiveness to norms of individual plan-theoretic rationality.’ (Bratman, 2014, p. 65)
 

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