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What is a delusion? Epistemological dimensions.
1Department of Philosophy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, University College-New Brunswick, USA.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|December 28, 1999
Summary
Delusions are identified as beliefs resistant to rational revision, lacking falsifiability and proper justification. These protected beliefs are emotionally charged and often arise from misinterpretations of ordinary events.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Epistemology
Background:
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders acknowledges the epistemic nature of delusions but lacks precise characterization.
- Rational agents revise beliefs based on regulative causes, a process to which delusions appear unresponsive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explicate the epistemic properties of delusions.
- To differentiate delusions from other belief systems by examining their resistance to belief revision.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the epistemic dimensions of delusions.
- Comparison of delusion formation and maintenance with belief revision processes in rational agents.
Main Results:
- Delusions are characterized as protected beliefs, unfalsifiable in principle or by agent refusal.
- Delusions are not "properly basic" or protected scientific beliefs.
- Responses to falsification involve complex, untestable explanations, not simple ones.
- Delusions exhibit strong emotional attachment and originate from trivial, personally significant interpretations.
Conclusions:
- Delusions represent a distinct category of beliefs characterized by their epistemic properties and resistance to rational scrutiny.
- Understanding these properties is crucial for refining diagnostic criteria and therapeutic approaches for delusional disorders.
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