When we fail to reach our objectives, procrastination is frequently to blame. But how exactly should procrastination be interpreted? It has been criticized as foolish, irrational, inconsistent, and even immoral, but there has been no serious intellectual debate on the subject.
The topic of procrastination is introduced into the philosophical investigation in this edited collection, which is the first step. There is a strong emphasis on analyzing procrastination in the context of agency, rationality, and ethics—topics that philosophy is particularly well-suited to explore. The development and use of theoretically and empirically informed analyses are undertaken to shed light on a perplexing practical situation that causes much frustration, regret, and harm. Some of the most important questions that are addressed are as follows: How can we study procrastination in a way that is fair to both its voluntary and self-defeating dimensions? What are the best methods for doing so? Procrastination is a type of practical failure. Is it a manifestation of a lack of determination? Is it the result of a disjointed marketing team? Is it a vice or a vices? In light of the nature of procrastination, what are the most promising coping mechanisms?
