This work investigates the historical development and philosophical validity of the volitional theory of causation, which posits that the nature of causality is fundamentally understood through the human experience of will. W. J. Mander, a scholar of British Idealism, examines how this theory evolved from the work of George Berkeley through the twentieth century. The text provides a rigorous analysis of the arguments surrounding the internal perception of agency as the primary model for understanding causal interactions in the external world.

Scholars and students of metaphysics frequently cite this work as a specialized resource for understanding the intersection of agency and causal theory. Experts highlight the text for its clear historical mapping and its contribution to the niche study of volitional causality.