Luminosity in the stream of consciousness
Synthese May 11, 2018 David Jenkins
Timothy Williamson's anti-luminosity argument claims that no significant mental states are luminous—that is, whenever one is in such a state, one must know that one is. This paper argues that even if Williamson's argument succeeds for mental states, it does not rule out luminous mental events and processes, such as judging or deliberating. These are plausibly self-conscious: if one is judging, one must know that one is. The author contends that Williamson's argument fails to address this possibility, limiting its scope. A misplaced focus on mental states, rather than events and processes, has obscured this limitation. The paper concludes that attempts to extend the anti-luminosity argument to judgment are unsuccessful.