Privileged Access: Philosophical Accounts of Self-Knowledge (Ashgate Epistemology and Mind Series)

How do you grasp the contents of your mind - your desires, your fears, your sensations, your beliefs? We typically think that we are better able to discern our own mental states than others are. But is this correct? And if it is, what explains your special or "privileged" access to your own states? This anthology of essays by leading philosophers about the nature of self-knowledge includes specially commissioned contributions from such prominent thinkers as Bermudez, Dretske, Lycan, Sosa and others, but the anthology also includes reprints of classic articles by Boghossian, Shoemaker, Wright and others. The volume provides for an in-depth understanding of contemporary answers to key philosophical questions which have strongly influenced developments in epistemology, ontology and the philosophy of mind since Descartes. Featuring an introductory chapter outlining the main currents of thought about self-knowledge, this collection of cutting-edge philosophical work should prove a valuable resource for students and researchers alike.