Will, Intention, Wish

As previously argued, Intention is neither a lure for behavior, nor a preview of a lure that sets behavior in motion, but a representation that shapes and guides a course of action. In other words, Intention is neither a Teleological nor an Efficient, but a Formal Cause. Its Matter is the internally generated, outward-directed, but otherwise characterless, exertion of energy, i. e. Will. Hence, Will and Intention are not synonyms, as they are sometimes conceived to be, but are the mutually inverse primary principles of action. Now, 'Wish' is Intention abstracted from its functional context. Hence, Will and Wish are not synonyms either, despite some common usages. Among those usages are ones that are not casual--e. g. in the prayer 'Thy will be done', and the legal notion of Will, which requires an 'executor' to carry it out. But, regardless of how ingrained or codified such usages of 'will' are, from the perspective here, 'wish' is the more systematically appropriate term in those contexts.