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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Journal | Volume | Article

235114

Selfless assertions

some empirical evidence

John Turri

pp. 1221-1233

Abstract

It is increasingly recognized that knowledge is the norm of assertion. As this view has gained popularity, it has also garnered criticism. One widely discussed criticism involves thought experiments about “selfless assertion.” Selfless assertions are said to be intuitively compelling examples where agents should assert propositions that they don’t even believe and, hence, don’t know. This result is then taken to show that knowledge is not the norm of assertion. This paper reports four experiments demonstrating that “selfless assertors” are viewed as both believing and knowing the propositions they assert: this is the natural and intuitive way of interpreting the case. Thought experiments about selfless assertions do not threaten the knowledge account and they do not motivate weaker alternative accounts. The discussion also highlights a general lesson for philosophers: thought experiments intended to probe for mental state attributions should not conflict with basic principles that guide social cognition.

Publication details

Published in:

Pietarinen Ahti-Veikko J. (2015) Peirce's logic and philosophy of language. Synthese 192 (4).

Pages: 1221-1233

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-014-0621-0

Full citation:

Turri John (2015) „Selfless assertions: some empirical evidence“. Synthese 192 (4), 1221–1233.