ABSTRACT
Many philosophers have emphasized the asymmetry of self-ascription and other-person-ascription of certain psychological characteristics. This chapter argues for what is chiefly characteristic of self-knowledge in certain cases is not privacy of knowledge or certainty of knowledge but manner of knowing; and this manner of knowing is capable of extension to people knowledge of others, even though it is less reliable in such cases. However much philosophical behaviorism may have been motivated by the desire to avoid dualism in favor of an emphasis upon mind-body unity. The task of philosophy is to clear away the misconceptions or verbal confusions that might seem to present impediments to such inquiry. The psychologist, as scientist, need recognize no exceptions to the application of his scientific methodology. Some philosophers wish to say that self-knowledge in such a case, is non- inferential and noncriterial.
