Dream, death, and the self

518 Pages·2007·2.46 MB·English

by  Valberg, J J

Dream, Death, and the Self

Dream, Death, and the Self
J. J. Valberg
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON AND OXFORD
Copyright©2007byPrincetonUniversityPress
PublishedbyPrincetonUniversityPress,41WilliamStreet,
Princeton,NewJersey08540
IntheUnitedKingdom:PrincetonUniversityPress,3MarketPlace,
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Valberg,J.J.
Dream,death,andtheself/J.J.Valberg.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-691-12858-0(cl:alk.paper)
ISBN-10:0-691-12858-8(cl:alk.paper)
ISBN-13:978-0-691-12859-7(pbk.:alk.paper)
ISBN-10:0-691-12859-6(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Experience.2.Self-knowledge,Theoryof.3.Solipsism.4.Death.I.Title.
B105.E9V342007
128—dc22 2006053165
BritishLibraryCataloging-in-PublicationDataisavailable
ThisbookhasbeencomposedinSabon
Printedonacid-freepaper.∞
press.princeton.edu
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Anna, Flo, and Leo

Contents
Preface xv
INTRODUCTION
PhilosophicalDiscoveryandPhilosophicalPuzzles 1
Int.1 DiscoveringWhatWeAlreadyKnow 1
Int.2 TheSocraticConceptionofPhilosophicalDiscovery 2
Int.3 Wittgenstein:InsidershipandPhilosophicalDiscovery 3
Int.4 PhilosophicalDiscoveryandResistance 6
Int.5 ThePresumptuousnessofaClaimtoPhilosophicalDiscovery 7
Int.6 ConceptualAnalysisandtheCommunalHorizon 9
Int.7 ThePersonalHorizon 11
Int.8 PhilosophicalAnticipationsofthePersonalHorizon 13
Int.9 TwoTypesofPhilosophicalPuzzle 18
Int.10 TheExtraphilosophicalPuzzles 20
PART ONE: Dream
THEMEANINGOFTHEDREAMHYPOTHESIS
1. TheDreamHypothesisandtheArgumentfromInternality 27
1.1 OurPurposeinRaisingtheDreamHypothesis 27
1.2 ThattheDream/RealityContrastIsExtrinsictotheSubject
MatteroftheDreamHypothesis 28
1.3 TheArgumentfromInternality 31
1.4 DreamandtheLawofExcludedMiddle 34
1.5 TheDreamHypothesisandSpace 40
1.6 TheDreamHypothesisandTime 43
1.7 TheDreamHypothesisandtheWorld 48
2. TheDreamHypothesis:IdentityandtheFirstPerson 53
2.1 APuzzleaboutIdentity 53
2.2 RepresentationandIdentity 54
2.3 AWayoutofthePuzzle 57
2.4 TheDreamHypothesisandtheFirst-PersonSingular 61
2.5 TheSubjectversustheDreamerofaDream;ThePositional
ConceptionoftheSelf 64
2.6 EmergingfromaDreamandtheFirstPerson 68
viii • Contents
3. TheConfusionofStandpoint 71
3.1 DreamsandtheInfinityofTime 71
3.2 TimeandtheConfusionofStandpoint 74
3.3 DescartesandtheDreamHypothesis 76
3.4 DreamSkepticismversusMemorySkepticism 78
3.5 Real-LifeUncertaintyabouttheDreamHypothesis 80
4. TheSubjectMatteroftheDreamHypothesis 84
4.1 IstheArgumentfromInternalityValid? 84
4.2 TheSubjectMatteroftheDreamHypothesisand
GrammaticalIllusion 86
4.3 AlternativeFormulationsoftheDreamHypothesis 88
4.4 Reality 91
4.5 WhatIstheSubjectMatteroftheDreamHypothesis? 94
4.6 TheHorizonalversusPhenomenalConceptionofMind 97
DREAMSKEPTICISM
5. TheDreamHypothesisandtheSkepticalChallenge 101
5.1 TheSkepticalArgument 101
5.2 TheUsualArgumentforDreamSkepticism;
ImmanentversusTranscendentDreamSkepticism 105
5.3 TheUniquenessofTranscendentDreamSkepticism 108
5.4 DreamSkepticismandtheExternalWorld 110
5.5 NozickontheTankHypothesis 113
6. RespondingtoDreamSkepticism 119
6.1 IstheDreamHypothesisaPseudoHypothesis? 119
6.2 WhetherItWouldMatterifTHISWereaDream 122
6.3 TheGeneralFormofMyResponsetotheDreamHypothesis 126
6.4 IAmwithOthers:MetaphysicalEqualityandthe
ClaimtoPreeminence 128
6.5 TheCommitmentto(O) 131
6.6 RaisingtheDreamHypothesisinConversation:
ForcingaWithdrawaltotheFirstPerson 134
6.7 WithdrawingtotheFirstPersonandtheHorizonal
UseoftheFirstPerson 136
6.8 WhyItIsRationallyImpossibletoBelievetheDreamHypothesis 138
6.9 TheSpaceofHorizons 141
6.10 OtherMinds 144
6.11 SkepticismandSolipsism 146
Contents • ix
PART TWO: Death
THEMEANINGOFDEATH
7. IWillDie 153
7.1 DreamandDeath;DiscoveringtheMeaningofDeath 153
7.2 BeingDisturbedbytheProspectofDeath 154
7.3 ThattheProspectofDeathHoldsUpSomethingNot
JustAwfulbutIncomprehensible;DeathandSelf-Deception 157
7.4 ReactingtotheProspectofDeath:AText 160
7.5 PhilosophicalReflectionandReal-LifeDisturbance 165
8. TheSubjectMatterand“Mineness”ofMyDeath 168
8.1 TheProspectofDeath 168
8.2 IWillCeasetoBe 171
8.3 DeathandtheStreamofMentalStates 173
8.4 TheWorldandtheSubjectMatterofDeath 177
8.5 The“Mineness”ofMyDeathandtheHorizonalUse
oftheFirstPerson 181
DEATHANDSOLIPSISM
9. Solipsism 185
9.1 MyHorizonandtheHorizon 185
9.2 TheSolipsismofWittgenstein’sTractatus 188
9.3 SolipsismandSelf-Consciousness 192
9.4 KripkeontheSolipsismoftheTractatus 195
9.5 Negativism 198
10. DeathandtheTruthofSolipsism 201
10.1 SolipsismandMyLifewithOthers 201
10.2 RelativizedSolipsism 204
10.3 SolipsismandtheMeaningofDeath 206
10.4 QualifyingtheNOTHINGNESSofDeath 209
11. TheAwfulnessandIncomprehensibilityofDeath 215
11.1 TheAwfulnessofDeath 215
11.2 TheTwoFormsoftheImpossibilityofDeath 219
11.3 TheTemporalImpossibilityofDeath 220
11.4 ConsciousnessandCausation 222
11.5 TheSolipsisticImpossibilityofDeath 227
11.6 The“Aloneness”oftheDyingSubject 228
11.7 ThePuzzlesofDeathandtheCausationofConsciousness 232