Abstract
The views of Davidson are being talked about, with increasing frequency, in the philosophy of psychiatry literature. His propositional attitude holism, in particular, has been much discussed in recent philosophical work on psychiatric delusions. The consensus is clear: Davidsonian holism, according to which rationality is constitutive of thought, is undermined by psychiatric delusions. The present chapter is an attempt to cast doubt on this consensus. It is argued that, properly interpreted, Davidsonian holism is quite compatible with the psychiatric phenomena invoked to discredit it. Appreciating this compatibility requires careful attention to the irrationality characteristic of psychiatric delusions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Donald Davidson on Truth, Meaning, and the Mental |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780191742316 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780199697519 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 24 2013 |
Keywords
- Davidson
- Holism
- Irrationality
- Propositional attitudes
- Psychiatric delusions
- Rationality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Arts and Humanities