avsiktlighet

Avsiktlighet is a Swedish term that denotes the state or quality of having an intention or a definite purpose. It can refer to the mental attitude of an agent who acts with a plan to achieve a specified end, as well as to the broader characteristic of being purposeful or goal-directed. The word is formed from avsikt, meaning intention or aim, plus the suffix -lighet to indicate a property.

In philosophical contexts, avsiktlighet is often used to discuss intentionality—the idea that mental states are about or directed toward objects, states of affairs, or propositions. Swedish discussions of intention and belief, desire and perception may employ avsiktlighet to describe how these mental states are directed toward something beyond themselves. The term is typically used to differentiate directed, reason-guided processes from random or accidental ones.

In psychology and everyday language, avsiktlighet can describe deliberate, premeditated action (avsiktsfull) as opposed to inadvertent or accidental behavior. Related forms include avsiktlig, meaning deliberate or intentional, and oavsiktlig, meaning unintentional. The concept is thus used both in technical discussions of motivation and in ordinary speech about plans, motives, and responsibility.

Historically, avsiktlighet in Swedish philosophy aligns with the broader notion of intentionality as developed in phenomenology and analytic philosophy, notably in discussions influenced by Brentano. While translations vary, avsiktlighet serves as a practical term in Swedish to capture the sense of directed mental life and purposeful action embedded in human cognition and conduct.