ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors argue that a pragmatic view of addiction is defensible, and that it solves some difficulties in understanding addiction by highlighting that various definitions of addiction serve various practical purposes. Many philosophers are interested in what makes addiction a disease and in whether addicts are responsible, so they tend to define addiction in terms of harm and control. Alcoholics Anonymous notoriously requires its members to announce, “I am an alcoholic,” and related groups have similar requirements. One interpretation is that this practice is a useful fiction. It might make sense for the long-abstinent member of Alcoholics Anonymous to think of herself as still an addict, because this announcement helps her avoid relapse. The authors present a case study of Paul Erdos, who was a famously prolific mathematician whose love for math seemed to surpass his interest in everything else.
