As part of our research project, we have launched ULTIMA (Utrecht Lectures on Topics In Mind and Action). This is a series of monthly lectures that will host some of the most important researchers in the philosophy of mind, the cognitive sciences, and the philosophy of action.

Our upcoming talk will be:

Self-control ‘in your head’? A situated approach

Speaker: Josephine Pascoe (Utrecht University)

Abstract:

In a recently published paper (Kalis, Pascoe & Segundo-Ortin, 2024), we propose a situated account of self-control, which we define as the ability to act skillfully within a specific context and environment to achieve one’s goals despite conflicting motivations. According to this framework, successful self-control involves deploying appropriate strategies tailored to the problem and situation at hand. This often requires the agent to engage in reasoning and self-knowledge (e.g., awareness of their strengths and weaknesses), which can occur silently, ‘in the head.’ How can these processes be understood within a situated framework?

In this talk, I will focus on reasoning and pondering in the context of self-control. Drawing on the work of Ryle (1949, 1971, 1993), I will demonstrate (1) their didactic nature and (2) their status as know-how. My aim is to argue that even when performed silently, activities like reasoning and pondering remain fundamentally situated, thereby supporting our situated account of self-control.

When: Thursday June 13, 2024  (15.30 to 17.00)

Where: Janskerkhof 13, (room 0.06), Utrecht. Attendance is free but space is limited. Please, to attend send an e-mail to a.kalis@uu.nl

*Online: This is a hybrid event. To attend online, please send an e-mail to a.kalis@uu.nl