Dear philosophers, 

 

the next HPS Research Seminar will be held this coming Monday, Oct. 27,
at 6pm in Carslaw 450, the Faculty of Science meeting room. 

 

Are delusions beliefs?
Lisa Bortolotti
Philosophy, University of Birmingham and MACCS, Macquarie University

 

Some philosophers argue that delusions are doxastic states, and that for
all relevant purposes we should treat them as beliefs. Others deny that
delusions are beliefs, and propose alternative analyses. For instance,
they argue that delusions are acts of imagination instead, or empty
speech acts with no intentional content. One popular objection to the
doxastic account derives from the application of the rationality
constraint on belief ascription to the case of delusions. If delusions
are irrational (in the  relevant sense), then they cannot be beliefs. I
shall consider three examples of this strategy, and argue that they are
not successful. However, I shall suggest that there is a serious threat
to the doxastic account of some delusions which derives from
considerations about ownership and authorship of thoughts.

 

All are welcome! 

 

 

Dominic  Murphy

Unit for History and Philosophy of Science

Carslaw FO7, University of Sydney

NSW 2006 Australia

 

_______________________________________________
SydPhil mailing list
[email protected]
List Info: http://lists.arts.usyd.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/sydphil

NEW LIST ARCHIVE: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/

Reply via email to