title: Self-deception as pseudo-rational regulation of belief.
abstract: Self-deception is a special kind of motivational dominance in belief-formation. We develop criteria which set paradigmatic self-deception apart from related phenomena of auto-manipulation such as pretense and motivational bias. In self-deception rational subjects defend or develop beliefs of high subjective importance in response to strong counter-evidence. Self-deceivers make or keep these beliefs tenable by putting prima-facie rational defense-strategies to work against their established standards of rational evaluation. In paradigmatic self-deception, target-beliefs are made tenable via reorganizations of those belief-sets that relate relevant data to target-beliefs. This manipulation of the evidential value of relevant data goes beyond phenomena of motivated perception of data. In self-deception belief-defense is pseudo-rational. Self-deceivers will typically apply a dual standard of evaluation that remains intransparent to the subject. The developed model of self-deception as pseudo-rational belief-defense is empirically anchored. So, we hope to put forward a promising candidate.
authors.affiliation: Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Institut für Philosophie, GA3/141, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany. Christoph.Michel@rub.de
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Newen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003469:Culture; D008192:Deception; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology; D005201:Fantasy; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D009042:Motivation; D011908:Rationalization; D012649:Self Concept