Overview

Self-knowledge refers to knowledge of one’s own mental states (beliefs, desires, sensations, emotions). It is often thought to be special because it is direct and authoritative in a way that knowledge of the external world or other minds is not.

Core Idea

The core idea is “privileged access.” I know I am in pain in a way that you cannot know I am in pain. I have a “first-person” perspective on my own mind.

Formal Definition

Self-knowledge is knowledge of one’s own current mental states. It is often characterized by:

  1. Immediacy: It is not inferred from evidence.
  2. Authority: The subject is the final arbiter.
  3. Transparency: To know if I believe P, I just ask myself whether P is true.

Intuition

If you ask me, “Do you have a headache?”, I don’t need to look in a mirror or hook myself up to a machine. I just feel it. My knowledge seems immediate and certain.

Examples

  • Sensations: “I feel cold.”
  • Beliefs: “I believe it is going to rain.”
  • Intentions: “I intend to go to the store.”

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: We know everything about our own minds (Cartesian Transparency).
    • Correction: Freud and modern psychology show we have an unconscious mind and are often ignorant of our true motives or biases.
  • Misconception: Self-knowledge is infallible.
    • Correction: We can be wrong (e.g., confusing fear with excitement, or thinking we believe something we actually don’t).
  • Introspection: The process of “looking within” to examine one’s thoughts.
  • The Unconscious: Mental states that are not accessible to consciousness.
  • Moore’s Paradox: The absurdity of saying “It is raining, but I don’t believe it.” (It shows the tight link between asserting P and attributing the belief P to oneself).

Applications

  • Psychotherapy: Helping patients gain self-knowledge about their hidden patterns and desires.
  • Moral Responsibility: We are often held responsible for our attitudes and intentions because we are presumed to know them.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Ryle’s Behaviorism: Gilbert Ryle argued that self-knowledge is not “looking within” a private theater, but observing our own behavior and dispositions, just like we observe others.
  • Theory-Theory: The view that we infer our mental states using a “theory of mind,” just as we do for others, rather than having direct access.

Further Reading

  • Authority and Estrangement by Richard Moran
  • Self-Knowledge by Cassam Quassim
  • The Concept of Mind by Gilbert Ryle