Self-Deception: With a New Chapter [Paperback]

Herbert Fingarette (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0520220528 | ISBN-13: 978-0520220522 | Edition: 1

With a new chapter
This new edition of Herbert Fingarette's classic study in philosophical psychology now includes a provocative recent essay on the topic by the author. A seminal work, the book has deeply influenced the fields of philosophy, ethics, psychology, and cognitive science, and it remains an important focal point for the large body of literature on self-deception that has appeared since its publication.
How can one deceive oneself if the very idea of deception implies that the deceiver knows the truth? The resolution of this paradox leads Fingarette to fundamental insights into the mind at work. He questions our basic ideas of self and the unconscious, personal responsibility and our ethical categories of guilt and innocence. Fingarette applies these ideas to the philosophies of Sartre and Kierkegaard, as well as to Freud's psychoanalytic theories and to contemporary research into neurosurgery. Included in this new edition, Fingarette's most recent essay, "Self-Deception Needs No Explaining (1998)," challenges the ideas in the extant literature.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Fingarette's book on the topic is so firmly and deservedly entrenched it is 'essential reading.'"--Roger Squires, Editor, The Philosophical Quarterly

"It was Herbert Fingarette, in his book Self-Deception, who made the theme of self-identity central in thinking about self-deception. . . . Quite simply, it is the most important single work on the topic. It is a classic that merits staying in print for many years to come." Mike W. Martin, author of Self-Deception and Self-Understanding

"Since 1962 our writings on self-deception have been largely directed at the two philosophers who are to be thanked most justly and warmly for keeping interest in self-deception alive: Professor Herbert Fingarette of the University of Cailfomia, Santa Barbara, and the late Jean-Paul Sartre." --John King-Farlow and Richard Bosley

"The best treatment of self-deception I know to date remains that of Herbert Fingarette in Self-Deception."--Ronald B. deSousa, Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto

"A classic." --Robert C. Solomon, author of The Passions

From the Back Cover

"Fingarette's book on the topic is so firmly and deservedly entrenched it is 'essential reading.'" (Roger Squires, Editor, The Philosophical Quarterly)

"It was Herbert Fingarette, in his book Self-Deception, who made the theme of self-identity central in thinking about self-deception. . . . Quite simply, it is the most important single work on the topic. It is a classic that merits staying in print for many years to come." Mike W. Martin, author of Self-Deception and Self-Understanding)

"Since 1962 our writings on self-deception have been largely directed at the two philosophers who are to be thanked most justly and warmly for keeping interest in self-deception alive: Professor Herbert Fingarette of the University of Cailfomia, Santa Barbara, and the late Jean-Paul Sartre." (John King-Farlow and Richard Bosley)

"The best treatment of self-deception I know to date remains that of Herbert Fingarette in Self-Deception." (Ronald B. deSousa, Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto)

"A classic." (Robert C. Solomon, author of The Passions)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520220528
• ISBN-13: 978-0520220522
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A keystone in the slippery debate, April 28, 2009

By 

Harry Max (Mountain View, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Self-Deception: With a New Chapter (Paperback)

If you are willing to take a deep dive into the slippery topic of self-deception, then this book is the book for you. The author takes a decidedly philosophical and academic knife to the topic. Usually, I don't like this kind of approach because it's not a "page-turner." In fact, it's a difficult book to read. Thank goodness it's short.

However, given the deep challenges associated with understanding the dynamics of self deception, the author's argument makes more sense because he does a great job outlining the failures of the extant literature before he attempts to reframe the problem, which he does brilliantly. The idea that self deception is not a problem of belief systems but rather an issue of identity; that is, fractures, dissociations, and "disavowals" related to one's identity concept makes perfect sense.

After reading this book, I see the world in an entirely new way. Highly recommended.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what philosophy SHOULD be about, October 30, 2009

By 

John J. Gibbs (waikiki) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Self-Deception: With a New Chapter (Paperback)

the author is a brilliant professor of philosophy.

this book examines personal responsibility in a succinct manner.

i recommend this book for serious students of philosophy, psychology, law, sociology.

it is also a wonderful guide for personal self-examination.

Dr.Fingarette is one of the most brilliant authors i have ever encountered.