Will, Voluntary, Knowledge

According to Aristotle, a 'voluntary' act is one in which the agent has knowledge of its consequences. On that formulation, if A serves B a dish that includes peanuts, and unbeknownst to A, B is allergic to peanuts, then the act is 'involuntary' if it is characterized as 'harming B', but 'voluntary' if it is characterized as 'feeding B'. Thus, Aristotle's definition leads to one and the same sequence of movements being both voluntary and involuntary. Plainly, his formulation conflates a volitional component, Will, with a cognitive one, Knowledge, thereby muddling the kinship of 'voluntary' with the former alone. In contrast, 'deliberate' or 'intentional' more appropriately characterizes the cognitive dimension of such acts.