Self-deception / Eric Funkhouser.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The basic problem and a conceptual map -- Deflationary accounts -- Intentionalism and divided mind accounts -- Revisionary accounts : belief and purpose -- Responsibility for self-deception -- Functions and cost-benefit analysis.

"Self-deception poses long-standing and fascinating paradoxes. Philosophers have questioned whether, and how, self-deception is possible whilst evolutionary theorists have argued that self-deception must be adaptive. For Sigmund Freud self-deception was a fundamental key to understanding the unconscious and from The Ancient Mariner to The Great Gatsby literature abounds with characters or narrators renowned for their self-deception. What exactly is self-deception? Why is it so puzzling? What causes self-deception? In this thorough and clearly-written introduction to the philosophy and psychology of self-deception Eric Funkhouser examines and assesses these questions and more: The conceptual background and 'basic problem' of self-deception, including Freud and Davidson and the important debate between intentionalists and anti-intentionalists; Deflationary accounts of self-deception and the role of motivation in self-deception; Intentional self-deception and the 'divided mind,' including the role of the unconscious in recent psychological research; Challenges that self-deception poses for philosophy of mind and psychology: the self; intention and purposive manipulation; and problems for the role of belief in self-deception; Biology and moral psychology of self-deception: What is it for? Is it ever good? Are the self-deceived to be held accountable? Combining philosophical analysis with summaries of the latest psychological research, and including features such as chapter summaries, annotated further reading and a glossary, Self-Deception is an excellent resource for students of philosophy of mind and psychology, moral psychology and ethics, as well as those in related fields such as psychology and cognitive science"-- Provided by publisher.