The Implicit Mind Cognitive Architecture, the Self, and Ethics

Heroes are often admired for their ability to act without having "one thought too many," as Bernard Williams put it. Likewise, the unhesitating decisions of masterful athletes and artists compose part of their fascination. Examples such as these elucidate the idea that spontaneity can represent an ideal. However, recent literature in empirical psychology has shown how vulnerable our spontaneous inclinations can be to bias, short-sightedness, and irrationality. How can we make sense of these different roles that spontaneity plays in our lives? The central contention of The Implicit Mind is that understanding these two faces of spontaneity--its virtues and vices--requires understanding the "implicit mind." In turn, Michael Brownstein maintains that understanding the implicit mind requires considering three sets of questions. The first set focuses on the architecture of the implicit mind itself. What kind of mental states comprise the implicit mind? Are both "virtue" and "vice" cases of spontaneity products of one and the same mental system? What kind of cognitive structure do these states have, if so? The second set of questions focuses on the relationship between the implicit mind and the self. How should we relate to our spontaneous inclinations and dispositions? Are they "ours," in the sense that they reflect on our character or identity? Are we responsible for them? The third set focuses on the ethics of spontaneity. What can research on self-regulation teach us about how to improve the ethics of our implicit minds? How can we enjoy the virtues of spontaneity without succumbing to its vices? Brownstein structures his book around these set of questions in consideration of "the implicit mind."

Michael Brownstein is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at John Jay College/CUNY.

Introduction

Section I. Mind
Chapter 2. Perception, Emotion, Behavior, and Change: Components of Spontaneous Inclinations
Chapter 3. Implicit Attitudes and the Architecture of the Mind

Section II. Self
Chapter 4. Caring, Implicit Attitudes, and the Self
Chapter 5. Reflection, Responsibility, and Fractured Selves

Section III. Ethics
Chapter 6. Deliberation and Spontaneity
Chapter 7. The Habit Stance

Conclusion

Appendix
References
Index