volituse

Volituse is the faculty or act of choosing or deciding on a course of action under one's own will. It refers to the initiation and maintenance of goal-directed behavior, and to the mental effort involved in acting against competing desires or distractions. In everyday use, volition is closely related to willpower and self-control, but it is distinguished here from mere motivation or desire by stressing intentional initiation and subsequent persistence.

The term derives from Latin volitio, from volere to wish; in many languages it corresponds to the English “volition” or “will.”

In philosophy, volition is a central topic in action theory and the discussion of free will: how a person forms intentions, the sense in which acts are voluntary, and the role of reason, desire, and responsibility in choosing to act. Thinkers have debated whether volitional acts are determined by prior states, whether they are caused by reasons, and what it implies for moral accountability.

In psychology and neuroscience, volition is studied as goal selection, initiation, and the effort exerted to carry out intentional actions. It involves executive functions mediated by brain networks including the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate, and is connected to measures of self-control, initiation, and persistence. Deficits in volition can appear in conditions such as apathy, depression, or certain neurodegenerative disorders, where initiation or sustained action is impaired.

Volition is often contrasted with motivation (why we act) and intention (what we plan to do). It remains a core topic in the study of human agency, decision making, and moral responsibility.