This volume investigates the historical evolution and philosophical conceptualization of the human will and its relationship to intentional action. The authors, M. W. F. Stone and Thomas Pink, curate a collection of scholarly essays that trace the development of volition from ancient Greek thought through medieval scholasticism to contemporary analytical philosophy. By examining how various thinkers have defined the capacity for choice, the text provides a rigorous framework for understanding the intersection of moral responsibility, agency, and psychological motivation.

Scholars and students of philosophy frequently cite this collection as a comprehensive resource for tracing the genealogy of the concept of the will. The text is noted for its academic rigor and is often utilized in graduate-level seminars focusing on ethics and the history of metaphysics.