The Varieties of Self-Knowledge [Hardcover]

This book explores the idea that self-knowledgecomes in many varieties. We know ourselves through many different methods,depending on whether we attend to our propositional attitudes, our perceptions,sensations or emotions. Furthermore, sometimes what we call self-knowledge isnot the result of any substantial cognitive achievement and the characteristicauthority we grant to our psychological self-ascription is a conceptualnecessity, redeemed by unravelling the structure of several interlocking concepts.This book critically assesses the main contemporary positions held on theepistemology of self-knowledge. These include robust epistemic accounts such asinner sense views and theory-theories; weak epistemic accounts such astransparency theories and rational internalism and externalism; as well asexpressivist and constitutivist approaches. The author offers an innovativepluralist position on self-knowledge, emphasizing the complexity of thephenomenon and its resistance to any monistic treatment, to pose new andintriguing philosophical challenges.

Acknowledgments.- Credits.- List of abbreviations.-Introduction.- Chapter one: Varieties of Mental States.- 1. Sensations andperceptions.- The objectivity of perceptual representation.- Perceptualcontents.- Sensory states and sensations.- 2. Twokinds of propositional attitudes: dispositions and commitments.- Propositionalattitudes as dispositions.-  Propositionalattitudes as commitments.- 3. Emotions.- Emotions as sensations.- Emotions asevaluative judgments.- Emotions as felt bodily attitudes.- Emotions asperceptions of evaluative properties.- The borderline view of emotions.- 4. Summary.- Chapter two: Varieties of Self-Knowledge.-1. First personal self-knowledge.- Groundlessness.- Transparency.- Authority.- 2.Counterexamples from content externalism and cognitive science? .- 3. Third-personalself-knowledge.- 4. Summary.- Chapter three: Epistemically Robust Accountslß