China Social Science Review

No.1, 2021

Self-Knowledge, Epistemic Authority and Naturalism

(Abstract)

Fang Huanfei

Self-knowledge is the mental states actors attribute to themselves, or, more commonly, first person reports on selfbelief and attitudes. It brings with it a specificity and sense of priority that include epistemic authority, all of which are established through use of the unique position of the first person. However, as seen by adherents of naturalism, this kind of epistemic authority can in a sense be dispelled through the mindreading hypothesis. Moreover, in the course of cognition and action, the associated non-epistemic authority may come under rational questioning because of its endeavor to realize more satisfying outcomes. Hence, according to the explanatory narrative path of constructivism, the authority of self-knowledge can in fact be regarded as the actor’s right to originality in the formation of its first person reports.