ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces some of the problems of self-deception and the psychological tendencies that incline us to self-deceive. It explains some of the theoretical and practical reasons why one might be interested in studying self-deception in the first place. The chapter focuses on the philosophical problems of self-deception, using the various methods of philosophy. These include: investigating critical concepts such as belief, deception, and self; exploring the limits of rationality, especially as this relates to posessessing contradictory beliefs, engaging in projects aimed at misleading the self, and the influences of non-rational factors on belief; distinguishing different degrees of human agency, especially in our capacity as epistemic agents; breaking down the process of self-deception into its logical parts and charting the possibilities in psychological space. Self-deception is normally viewed as a negative, something to be criticized and looked down on.
