Kavka's toxin puzzle

Kavka's toxin puzzle is a paradox presented by Gregory S. Kavka, a moral and political philosopher, in The Toxin Puzzle (1983). In it, he proposed the following problem:

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There is a toxin which will kill instantly upon consumption. You will receive a sizeable lump of money if you are able to intend to drink this toxin. Is it possible to truly intend to drink the toxin if the intention is all that is needed to get the reward?

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The paradox lies within the reasoning of the person, X, who considers attempting this. As soon as X intends to drink the toxin, he/she can collect the reward; X does not actually have to drink it. However, knowing this - and knowing that drinking it will prove fatal - would likely make X certain that he/she would not drink the toxin. But if X knows this, then he/she cannot truly intend to drink it. It would be possible for the person to get the money only if they actually intend to give up their life for it.

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