We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
The importance of self‐knowledge for free action.
- Authors
Gurrola, Joseph
- Abstract
Much has been made about the ways that implicit biases and other apparently unreflective attitudes can affect our actions and judgments in ways that negatively affect our ability to do right. What has been discussed less is that these attitudes negatively affect our freedom. In this paper, I argue that implicit biases pose a problem for free will. My analysis focuses on the compatibilist notion of free will according to which acting freely consists in acting in accordance with our reflectively endorsed beliefs and desires. Though bias presents a problem for free action, I argue that there are steps agents can take to regain their freedom. One such strategy is for agents to cultivate better self‐knowledge of the ways that their freedom depends on the relationship between their conscious and unconscious attitudes, and the way these work together to inform action and judgment. This knowledge can act as an important catalyst for agents to seek out and implement short‐ and long‐term strategies for reducing the influence of bias, and I offer four proposals along these lines. The upshot is that though bias is a powerful influence on our actions, we need not resign ourselves to its negative effects for freedom.
- Subjects
IMPLICIT bias; LIBERTY; DESIRE; BELIEF &; doubt; THEORY of self-knowledge
- Publication
European Journal of Philosophy, 2023, Vol 31, Issue 4, p996
- ISSN
0966-8373
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/ejop.12812