Egocentric and Encyclopedic Doxastic States in Delusions of Misidentification

Abstract

A recent debate in the literature on delusions centers on the question of whether delusions are beliefs or not. In this paper, an overlooked distinction between egocentric and encyclopedic doxastic states is introduced and brought to bear on this debate, in particular with regard to delusions of misidentification. The result is that a more accurate characterization of the delusional subject’s doxastic point of view is made available. The patient has a genuine egocentric belief (“This man is not my father”), but fails to have the commonly attributed encyclopedic belief (“My father has been replaced by an impostor”).