Original scientific paper
Expression and Transparency in Contemporary Work on Self-knowledge
Ángel García Rodríguez
; University of Murcia
Abstract
A central feature in contemporary discussions of selfknowledge
concerns the epistemic status of mental selfascriptions,
such as “I have toothache” or “I believe that p”.
The overall project of such discussions is to provide an account
of the special status of mental self-ascriptions vis-à-vis other
knowledge-claims, including ascriptions of mental states to
others. In this respect, two approaches have gained currency
in contemporary philosophy. Some authors have focused on
the notion of expression, stressing that self-ascriptions are
expressions of one’s mental life; whereas others have singled
out the notion of transparency as crucial, since self-knowledge
involves self-beliefs, and the latter are transparent to one’s
available evidence. This critical notice explores one instance of
each approach, in order to assess their prospects of success. It
concludes that both approaches fail to articulate an account that
satisfactorily accommodates the first-person component in the
notion of self-knowledge.
Keywords
self-knowledge; avowal; expression; transparency; belief
Hrčak ID:
125801
URI
Publication date:
10.7.2014.
Visits: 1.098 *