DO THE SELF-DECEIVED GET WHAT THEY WANT?

Author: FUNKHOUSER, ERIC

Source: Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 86, Number 3, September 2005 , pp. 295-312(18)

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Abstract:

Two of the most basic questions regarding self-deception remain unsettled: What do self-deceivers want? What do self-deceivers get? I argue that self-deceivers are motivated by a desire to believe. However, in significant contrast with Alfred Mele's account of self-deception, I argue that self-deceivers do not satisfy this desire. Instead, the end-state of self-deception is a false higher-order belief. This shows all self-deception to be a failure of self-knowledge.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0114.2005.00228.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Philosophy University of Arkansas

Publication date: 2005-09-01