Self-knowledge and the transparency of belief

Gertler B. Self-knowledge and the transparency of belief. Self-knowledge. 2011:125–145.

Abstract

Several contemporary philosophers have argued that one can discover whether one believes that p simply by considering whether p; moreover, they claim, use of this “transparency” method explains our privileged access to our beliefs (Byrne, Fernández, Moran). In this paper, I argue against that claim. Use of the transparency method does not yield knowledge of either explicit or implicit dispositional beliefs. And while the self-attributions of occurrent beliefs generated by the transparency method may qualify as knowledge, the possibility that the use of the method generates new beliefs (rather than revealing existing beliefs) means that the availability of that method does not explain our privileged access to our occurrent beliefs.
Last updated on 11/26/2020