Rather than relying on the spatial quality of bodily sensations or proprioception, this argument exploits ones awareness of ones own perceptual states. He studied philosophy, politics and economics ppe at keble. His parents and grandparents were all born in kenya. During this time he was a fellow of wadham college, oxford. The power of introverts in a world that cant stop talking by susan cai. Stealthy vices, quassim cassam by serrc on october 16, 2015 1. Self knowledge, gilbert ryle knowing ones own mind, donald davidson individualims and self knowledge, tyler burge self reference and self awareness, sydney shoemaker on the observability of the self, roderick m. Each week the books author talks you through some of the central issues relating to selfknowledge including the unconscious, the value of the examined life, wisdom, the. Buy ebook selfknowledge for humans by quassim cassam, ebook format, from the dymocks online bookstore. Cassam rejects the widespread view that the self eludes introspection, and argues that consciousness of our thoughts and experiences involves a sense of our thinking, experiencing selves as shaped, solid, and located physical objects in a world of such objects. Fast thinking, beliefperseverance, attituderecalcitrance, and selfignorance are all respects in which human beings are not homo philosophicus. Quassim cassam humans are not model epistemic citizens.
Embodiment and selfawareness evans, cassam and husserl. He was previously knightbridge professor of philosophy at cambridge, and has also taught at oxford and university college london. Contributions include introduction by gilbert ryle, knowing ones own mind by donald davidson, individualism and self knowledge and introspection and the self by sydney shoemaker, on the observability of the self by roderick m. Selfknowledge for humans by quassim cassam 9780198776680. Anscombe, on the phenomenologic of the i by hectorneri castaneda, the problem of the essential indexical by john perry, self identification by gareth evans, and the. In answering 3, cassam questions whether the stealthiness of an epistemic vice diminishes our responsibility for it. Our reasoning can be careless, our beliefs eccentric, and our desires irrational. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. His great grandparents were born in gujarat, india, and emigrated to kenya in the 1890s. Since then he has been a professor of philosophy at university college london, cambridge, and his current university, warwick.
Selfknowledge quassim cassam oxford university press. Selfknowledge for humans oxford university press 2014. Oxford is also where he did his undergraduate degree in philosophy, politics and economics and d. Aug 21, 2019 further, cassam argues, selfknowledge is no guarantee of selfimprovement. His first job in philosophy was at oxford university, where he taught from 19862004.
We assume that on the whole our lives go better with substantial self knowledge than without it, and what is puzzling is how hard it can be to know ourselves in this sense. His first tenured job in philosophy was at oxford, where he taught for 18 years as a fellow of wadham college. Already in the thirteenth century, however, the medieval thinker thomas aquinas developed a sophisticated theory of selfknowledge, which therese scarpelli cory presents as a project of reconciling the conflicting phenomena of selfopacity and privileged selfaccess. This volume brings together some of the most important and influentia. Quassim cassam is professor of philosophy at the university of warwick. He argues that selfknowledge is a genuine cognitive achievement, and that selfignorance is almost always on the cards. Berkeleys puzzle, with john campbell oxford university press 2014. Our beliefs can be eccentric, our desires irrational and our hopes hopelessly unrealistic. The possibility of knowledge quassim cassam abstract. Mar 27, 2016 b substantial self knowledge on the other hand concerns knowledge about my own character, about my values, my aptitudes, etc. Cassam on selfknowledge for humans the harvard community has made this article openly available.
Selfknowledge matters so much because it is only on the basis of an accurate sense of who we are that we can make reliable decisions particularly around love and work. In this book quassim cassam develops an account of self knowledge which tries to do justice to these and other respects in which humans arent model epistemic citizens. Home critical replies stealthy vices, quassim cassam. Oxford university press 1994 authors quassim cassam.
A final argument to show that selfknowledge supports materialism, advanced by cassam 1997, uses a somewhat different approach. Interview with professor quassim cassam the freethink tank. If trivial selfknowledge is special in some or all of these ways then it is markedly different from substantial selfknowledge, as well as knowledge of minds other than our own. Self knowledge by quassim cassam, 9780198751168, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. As well as explaining knowledge of our own states of mind, cassam also accounts for what he calls substantial self knowledge, including knowledge of our values, emotions, and character. I know of no collection that has a better, more representative sample of articles on the subject. Selfknowledge is commonly thought to have become a topic of serious philosophical inquiry during the early modern period. Quassim cassam develops a new account of selfknowledge which recognises this feature of human life. Draws on ideas from psychology, literature, and economics. Explores neglected types of self knowledge, including knowledge of our characters, values, and emotions. Know thyself free online course this completely free and online course is designed to be used in conjunction with know thyself.
Our reasoning can be careless and uncritical, and our beliefs, desires, and other attitudes arent always as they ought rationally to be. A final argument to show that self knowledge supports materialism, advanced by cassam 1997, uses a somewhat different approach. Self and world1999 rationalism, empiricism, and the a priori innew essays on the a priori1999 space and objective experience inthought, reference, and experience1999. This volume brings together some of the most important and influential recent writings on knowledge of oneself and of ones own thoughts, sensations, and experiences. He argues that self knowledge is a genuine cognitive achievement, and that self ignorance is almost always on the cards.
Shoemaker has taken up the distinction and argues that the word i does refer albeit in a different way than it does in its use as object. Introduction selfknowledge, gilbert ryle knowing ones own mind, donald davidson individualims and selfknowledge, tyler burge selfreference and selfawareness, sydney shoemaker on the observability of the self, roderick m. The essays give valuable insights into such fundamental philosophical issues as personal identity, the nature of consciousness, the relation between mind and body, and knowledge of other minds. Selfknowledge edition 1 by quassim cassam 2900198751167. Quassim cassam on the importance, or unimportance, of self. Written in an unusually clear and accessible style. Diagnostic error, overconfidence and selfknowledge quassim cassam 1 palgrave communications volume 3, article number. Selfknowledge knowledge of the self stanford encyclopedia. In recent decades most philosophical accounts of selfknowledge in the tradition in which i work have concentrated on relatively trivial or easy selfknowledge. Quassim cassam develops a new account of self knowledge which recognises this feature of human life. Ambitious original work from a leading philosopher. Dec 07, 2014 self knowledge matters to us as human beings, and the self knowledge which matters to us as human beings is substantial rather than trivial self knowledge. Selfknowledge by quassim cassam, 9780198751168, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Self and world is an exploration of the nature of self awareness.
He criticizes philosophical accounts of self knowledge for. It says that in becoming aware of our own perceptual states. He was a kenyan citizen until the age of 18 but has spent most of his adult life in the u. On selfknowledge and the difference between academic and. Buy selfknowledge for humans reprint by cassam, quassim isbn.
This book is mostly about selfawarenessthat is, awareness of the selfand other issues having to do with indexicals and the firstperson. On this account, selfknowledge is a genuine cognitive achievement and selfignorance is almost always on the cards. Quassim cassam was born in mombasa, kenya, and lived the early part of his life there, though he lived most of his adult life in the uk. In this book quassim cassam develops an account of selfknowledge which tries to do justice to these and other respects in which humans arent model epistemic citizens. As well as explaining knowledge of our own states of mind, cassam also accounts for what he calls substantial selfknowledge, including knowledge of our values, emotions, and character. On a more serious note, a couple of years ago i published a book called selfknowledge for humans. Jul 21, 2017 quassim cassam was born in mombasa, kenya, and lived the early part of his life there, though he lived most of his adult life in the uk. He rejects rationalist and other mainstream philosophical accounts of self knowledge on the grounds that, in more than one sense, they arent accounts of self knowledge for humans. This new essay book takes us on a journey into our deepest, most elusive selves and arms us with a set of tools to understand our characters properly. Aquinas on human selfknowledge by therese scarpelli cory. Embodiment and selfawareness evans, cassam and husserl 1. Suppose you think of knowledge of your own character traits as an example of substantial selfknowledge, and lets suppose that kindness is one such trait. The possibility of knowledge oxford university press 2007.
Quassim cassam is professor of philosophy at warwick university and author of selfknowledge for humans january 2015 the moral philosopher when should voluntary euthanasia not be an option. Selfknowledge oxford university press 1994 articles. He is the author of self and world 1997, the possibility of knowledge 2007, berkeleys puzzle. Further, cassam argues, selfknowledge is no guarantee of selfimprovement. He rejects rationalist and other mainstream philosophical accounts of selfknowledge on the grounds that, in more than one sense, they arent accounts of selfknowledge for humans. It isnt unusual for them to start their learned articles and books on selfknowledge by declaring that they arent going to be discussing substantial selfknowledge because that isnt where the philosophical action is. Cassam brings up some interesting points on self knowledge, especially that self knowledge can be detrimental in the short run and that having a fixation on self knowledge can cause one to be unfulfilled. Quassim cassam was born in mombasa, kenya, to a gujarati ismaili family. Quassim cassam develops a new account of self knowledge which recognises. Sep 06, 2019 quassim cassam is professor of philosophy at the university of warwick. Buy selfknowledge for humans by cassam, quassim isbn. Rationalism about self knowledge, of the kind elaborated and defended by writers such as moran and boyle, is an account of self knowledge for an ideally rational homo philosophicus rather than for homo sapiens.
He criticizes philosophical accounts of selfknowledge for. Cassam is right in pointing out that most academic philosophers that discuss the issue of selfknowledge focus on the first type while most other people probably feel like the the second type is of much more importance. Quassim cassam born 31 january 1961 is professor of philosophy at the university of warwick. Quassim cassams publications university of warwick. Stealthy vices, quassim cassam social epistemology. Self and world is an exploration of the nature of selfawareness. In chapter 11, he defends inferentialism about intentional states like belief, hope, and desire. Quassim cassam is professor of philosophy at the university of warwick, uk. Quassim cassam quassim cassam im a professor in the department of philosophy at warwick and the author of six books on a range of subjects, including selfknowledge, perception, intellectual vices and conspiracy theories.
This ebook is a selective guide designed to help scholars and students of social work find reliable sources of informati. Armstrong introspection and the self, sydney shoemaker the first person, g. Inferentialism as cassam says, it is commonly assumed that selfknowledge is typically noninferential. Rationalism about selfknowledge, of the kind elaborated and defended by writers such as moran and boyle, is an account of selfknowledge for an ideally rational homo philosophicus rather than for homo sapiens. Jan 01, 2017 buy self knowledge for humans reprint by cassam, quassim isbn. Diagnostic error, overconfidence and selfknowledge. Oxford bibliographies online research guide by quassim cassam available from rakuten kobo. Cassam is right in pointing out that most academic philosophers that discuss the issue of self knowledge focus on the first type while most other people probably feel like the the second type is of much more importance. Explores neglected types of selfknowledge, including knowledge of our characters, values, and emotions.
Quassim cassam develops a new account of selfknowledge which recognises. Here he argues that a persons ignorance of their vices is culpable even when their ignorance is caused by their vices. I would like to add that for one to realize ones limitations can greatly help one in the effort to become better and to remove those. He writes on self knowledge, perception, epistemic vices and topics in kantian epistemology. The only reader of its kind, selfknowledge fills a major gap in the history of philosophy and will be an accessible addition to a wide range of courses.
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