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1177/1754073911421384HuttoEmotion Review
Comment
Emotion Review
Vol. 4, No. 1 (January 2012) 6667
The Author(s) 2012
ISSN 1754-0739
Comment on Stueber
Daniel D. Hutto
School of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire, UK
Corresponding author: Daniel D. Hutto, School of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, UK. Email: d.d.hutto@herts.ac.uk
Hutto Understanding Reasons without Reenactment 67
put it), but they do this, remarkably, without coming to possess Xs story, we need just enough to see the relevant connections.
or acquire any principles at all. But for Stueber, apparently even having the whole story would
It is true, as Stueber (2012) stresses, that I accept that not suffice. Even if we had the full details of Xs storyin every
the exercise of imaginative capacitieseven capacities for detail and particularitywe wouldnt be able to understand Xs
cocognitionare important in enabling children to develop an reasons; that is, until we also put ourselves in Xs shoes. For
understanding of reasons. But imaginative and cocognitive Stueber (2012), using all of this information provided by the
capacities do not, individually or jointly, add up to understand- narrative could provide a frame for making the relevant adjust-
ing an agents reasons. Full mastery of that special kind of ments that would allow us to do just that.
understanding only comes as the result of engaging with A great deal in this debate hangs on what we mean by
narratives. If so, it follows that it cannot be a prerequisite for understanding a reason. Note that it seems perfectly possible
entering into the relevant narrative practices. Philosophers of a to understand someones reason without endorsing it. We can
certain Platonic mindset tend to marvel as to how it is possible to understand someones reason while still finding it strange,
learn something without already knowing it, but gradual mastery unattractive, or repugnant to our moral sensibilities (as in
of skills and techniques is a quite common phenomenon. thehopefully, imaginarycase of the student who desires to
This brings us back to the main question. Is it possible to shoot his professor; or that of a suicide bomber). There is no
fully understand someones reason for acting without putting doubt that more needs to be said about what that involves and
ourselves in their shoes, identifying with them, or otherwise what goes on in the closely connected phenomenon of imagina-
simulating their mindset? I agree with Stueber that theory tive resistance (for a good discussion see Currie, 2010, Chapter
theory is inadequate. Having general knowledge about the laws 6). But careful scrutiny of Stuebers (2012) article reveals only
of folk psychologythat is, how mental states interrelatewill the repeated claim that understanding reasons, in folk psycho-
not suffice for understanding a persons reasons for acting on logical fashion, essentially requires reenactment. What are
some occasion. For example, without knowing the appropriate not provided are compelling arguments or examples to support
backstory, being told that X ate an acorn because he believed it that claim.
was an acorn and desired to eat an acorn it is likely to leave us
puzzled, even though it is not irrational to do such a thing (in a References
strict sense of rational). Apperly, I., & Butterfill, S. A. (2009). Do humans have two systems to track
By contrast, if we flesh out enough of Xs story, Xs stated beliefs and belief-like states? Psychological Review, 116, 953970.
reason may become intelligible. Thus if we learn that this is part Currie, G. (2010). Narratives and narrators. Oxford, UK: Oxford
University Press.
of an important religious ritual for Xif we can see a link
Stueber, K. R. (2006). Rediscovering empathy: Agency, folk psychology and
between this sort of activity and activities that play, or could the human sciences. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
have played, a similar role in our lives, then it becomes possible Stueber, K. R. (2012). Varieties of empathy, neuroscience and the
to make sense of Xs reason. In getting the bigger picture by narrativist challenge to the contemporary theory of mind debate.
fleshing out Xs narrative we dont typically need the whole of Emotion Review, 4, 5563.