Next Tuesday (24 Nov), the Macquarie philosophy work-in-progress talk
will be given by Mary Walker (Macquarie), on
Addiction and self-deception: a method for self-control?
11-12 in the philosophy seminar room, W6A, Macquarie University. All
welcome.
Abstract:
Levy (2003) argues that while addicts who believe they are not
addicted are self-deceived, addicts who believe they are addicts are
just as self-deceived. Such people accept a false belief that their
addictive behaviour involved a 'loss of control'. I examine two
implications of Levy's discussion: that accurate self-knowledge is
particularly difficult for addicts; and that an addict's self-deceived
belief that they cannot control themselves may aid their attempts at
self-control. I argue that the self-deceived beliefs of addicts in
denial, and of self-described addicts, differ in kind in that the
former undermines self-control, while the latter may aid self-control.
A paradoxical implication is that this self-deception may aid self-
knowledge.
See you there,
Mark
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