Self-knowledge for humans /

Are humans as reasonable and transparent to themselves as philosophers usually expect? Cassam (Univ. of Warwick, UK) has his doubts. People may not always be conscious of what they are thinking, and they only occasionally think about what they are conscious of. Self-knowledge is achievable and valuable but not for the reasons that much of mainstream philosophy has given. Against the tide of reports that humans are irrationally hasty in their judgments, Cassam lowers the bar for rationality to a sensible level and explains the natural cognitive limits and strengths of humans. Against the philosophical tradition favoring an individual's immediate knowledge of inner experiences, Cassam argues that self-reflective attention to awareness involves selection and interpretation. His inferential theory of beliefs about states of mind, feelings, emotions, and values shows how self-knowledge arises from evidence without answering to rationalistic standards. The author also opens up intriguing views about the breadth of human self-ignorance and the relevance of self-knowledge for authenticity and character. Cassam draws on many psychological researchers throughout, among them Daniel Kahneman. Valuable for those interested in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophical psychology. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. --John R. Shook, University of Buffalo