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Full Idea
One can ascribed states of consciousness to oneself only if one can ascribe them to others. One can ascribe them to others only if one can identify other subjects of experience, and they cannot be identified only as subjects of experience.
Gist of Idea
I can only apply consciousness predicates to myself if I can apply them to others
Source
Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], 3.4)
Book Ref
Strawson,Peter F.: 'Individuals: Essay in Descriptive Metaphysics' [Methuen University 1974], p.100
A Reaction
A neat linguistic twist on the analogy argument, but rather dubious, if it is actually meant to prove that other minds exist. It is based on his view of predicates - see Idea 9281. If the rest of humanity are zombies, why would I not apply them?
Related Idea
Idea 9281 The idea of a predicate matches a range of things to which it can be applied [Strawson,P]
| 3537 | I judge others' feeling by analogy with my body and behaviour [Mill] |
| 5379 | If we didn't know our own minds by introspection, we couldn't know that other people have minds [Russell] |
| 5663 | It is irresponsible to generalise from my own case of pain to other people's [Wittgenstein] |
| 19272 | To imagine another's pain by my own, I must imagine a pain I don't feel, by one I do feel [Wittgenstein] |
| 14644 | If my conception of pain derives from me, it is a contradiction to speak of another's pain [Malcolm] |
| 9282 | I can only apply consciousness predicates to myself if I can apply them to others [Strawson,P] |
| 15495 | Analogy works, as when we eat food which others seem to be relishing [Martin,CB] |
| 3457 | Other minds are not inferred by analogy, but are our best explanation [Searle] |
| 2757 | The argument from analogy rests on one instance alone [Dancy,J] |
| 2758 | You can't separate mind and behaviour, as the analogy argument attempts [Dancy,J] |
| 7091 | The argument from analogy is not a strong inference, since the other being might be an actor or a robot [Grayling] |
| 3538 | Analogy to other minds is uncheckable, over-confident and chauvinistic [Maslin] |