cupient

Cupient is a term used in philosophy of mind and cognitive science to describe an agent whose behavior is motivated by desires or wants. The word appears to be formed from the Latin cupio “to desire” and the English suffix -ent, modeled on other agentive terms. In discussions of action, cupients are contrasted with belief- or constraint-driven agents.

Two readings are common. In one, cupiency denotes desire-driven agency where motivational states provide the primary cause of action, with beliefs and deliberation guiding but not determining behavior. In another reading, cupience designates an idealized rationality in which desires are coherent with long-term objectives, enabling deliberative choice and more stable performance across tasks.

Usage and debates: Cupients serve in thought experiments to explore how motivation interacts with justification, reasoning, and control. Critics warn that the term risks conflating affective states with normative reasons and may obscure distinctions between wanting and choosing. Some propose careful criteria for distinguishing genuine cupience from mere impulsivity or reflexive action.

In artificial intelligence, cupience is sometimes invoked as a criterion for alignment, asking whether an agent’s actions accurately reflect its stated desires across changing circumstances or conflicting objectives. Proponents argue that the concept helps formalize how internal motivational states relate to observable behavior, while skeptics caution against oversimplifying complex motivation.

See also motivation, action theory, intentionality, decision theory.