psychology – On the Human http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human a project of the National Humanities Center Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:39:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Knowledge of our own thoughts is just as interpretive as knowledge of the thoughts of others http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2011/10/knowledge-of-our-own-thoughts/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2011/10/knowledge-of-our-own-thoughts/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:40:37 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/?p=2894 Philosophers have traditionally assumed that knowledge of our own thoughts is special. Descartes famously believed that knowledge of our current thoughts is infallible. He also believed that those thoughts themselves are self-presenting, so that whenever one entertains a thought, one is capable of infallible knowledge of it. Many figures in the history of philosophy have

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]]> http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2011/10/knowledge-of-our-own-thoughts/feed/ 14 Do People Actually Believe in Objective Moral Truths? http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/12/objective-moral-truths/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/12/objective-moral-truths/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:27:55 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/?p=1834 Imagine two people discussing a question in mathematics. One of them says “7,497 is a prime number,” while the other says, “7,497 is not a prime number.” In a case like this one, we would probably conclude that there is a single right answer and that anyone who says otherwise must be mistaken. The question

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]]> http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/12/objective-moral-truths/feed/ 35 Bright Spots and Blind Spots in Self-Knowledge http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/09/bright-spots-and-blind-spots/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/09/bright-spots-and-blind-spots/#comments Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:32:02 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/?p=1313 Self-insight is often considered one of the most distinctive aspects of human experience. While other species can recognize themselves in the mirror or have a rudimentary sense of self, the human capacity for self-insight and self-reflection is what makes our species unique. However, this capacity has many, often hilarious, limits. We all have some version

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]]> http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/09/bright-spots-and-blind-spots/feed/ 9 Control: Conscious and Otherwise http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/05/control-conscious-and-otherwise/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/05/control-conscious-and-otherwise/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 14:51:38 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/?p=1078 Introduction An important notion in moral philosophy and many legal systems is that certain circumstances can mitigate an individual’s responsibility for a transgression. Generally speaking, such situations are considered extenuating in virtue of their exceptional influence on a person’s ability to act and make decisions in a normal manner. The essence of the case for

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]]> http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2010/05/control-conscious-and-otherwise/feed/ 32 Empathic Concern and Altruism in Humans http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/10/empathic-concern-and-altruism-in-humans/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/10/empathic-concern-and-altruism-in-humans/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:25:04 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/?p=480 We humans spend a remarkable amount of time, money, and energy to benefit others, including family, friends, and strangers. Why do we do it? Do we ever care about others for their sakes and not simply for our own? Is our ultimate goal always and exclusively self-benefit, or are we capable of caring about another

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