1st Edition

The Routledge Handbook of Introspection

Edited By Anna Giustina Copyright 2026
602 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

602 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Introspection is fundamental and seemingly indispensable to understanding the conscious human mind. It is essential both to acquire and refine our knowledge of ourselves and to develop a philosophical and a scientific investigation of consciousness. It is also a controversial topic, celebrated both as the foundation for knowledge whilst being criticized for being hopelessly unreliable. Despite... Read more

List of Contributors

Introduction Anna Giustina

Part I: Historical and Non-Western Perspectives on Introspection

1. Introspection in Medieval Philosophy Susan Brower-Toland

2. Cartesian Perspectives on Consciousness and Introspection François Recanati

3. An Adverbial Account of Introspection: Insights from Early Analytic Philosophy Arnaud Dewalque and Ethan Harley Field

4. Wittgenstein on Introspection Chon Tejedor

5. Introspection in Early Experimental Psychology Maja Spener

6. Introspection in Early Buddhism: A Study of Sati in the Four Satipaṭṭhānas Jenny Hung

7. Introspection in the African Tradition Thaddeus Metz

Part II: Theories of Introspection

8. A New Perceptual Theory of Introspection Uriah Kriegel

9. Acquaintance Theories of Introspection Matt Duncan

10. Transparency Theories of Introspection Alex Byrne

11. How to Be a Rationalist About Introspection Daniel Stoljar

12. Pluralist Theories of Introspection Kateryna S. Franco

Part III: The Epistemology of Introspection

13. Introspection and Privileged Access Yavuz Başoğlu and Katalin Farkas

14. Introspection and Revelation Michelle Liu

15. Skepticism About Introspection (and Some Ways to Address It) Anna Giustina

16. Keeping Introspective Judgments in Perspective: From Epistemic Limits to Degrees of Accuracy Adriana Renero

Part IV: Introspection and Consciousness Science

17. Introspection and Scientific Data Matthias Michel

18. On What Can’t Be Accessed: The Empirical Case Against Introspection Benjamin Kozuch

19. 100 Things to Know about Pristine Inner Experience Russell T. Hurlburt

20. From Introspection to Micro-Phenomenology Claire Petitmengin

Part V: Introspection, Consciousness, and the Self

21. Introspection and the Metaphysics of Consciousness Robert J. Howell

22. Is the Self Introspectable? Kristina Musholt

23. Introspection and First-Person Thought Daniel Morgan and Léa Salje

Part VI: Introspection and Other Mental Phenomena

24. Introspection and the Transparency of Experience Davide Bordini

25. Introspection and Attention Sebastian Watzl

26. The Role of Introspection in the Philosophy of Perception Adam Pautz

27. Introspection and Bodily Awareness Adrian J. T. Alsmith

28. Introspection and Agency Myrto Mylopoulos

29. Introspection and Inner Speech Marta Jorba

30. Introspection of Emotion: Teachings from Aesthetics Íngrid Vendrell Ferran

31. Walking through the ‘Fields and Vast Palaces of Memory’: On Some Connections between Memory and Introspection Dorothea Debus

32. Introspection and Imagination Amy Kind

Part VII: Introspection, Psychology, and Psychoanalysis

33. Using Introspection in Clinical Contexts Huw Green

34. Introspection and Self-Deception Jordi Fernández

35. The Pause: Introspection and the Unconscious in Psychoanalysis Talia Morag

Part VIII: The Value of Introspection

36. Introspection for Humans: Its Personal and Ethical Value Charles Siewert

37. Aesthetic Introspection Takuya Niikawa.

Index

Biography

Anna Giustina is Assistant Professor (Ramon y Cajal fellow) at the University of Valencia, Spain. She works mainly in the areas of philosophy of mind and epistemology, particularly on consciousness, acquaintance, introspection, and self-knowledge. She is an associate editor of Analysis, and PI of the project “Know Yourself: The Importance, the Nature, and the Applications of Introspective Self-Knowledge”, financed by Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, and the Universities (PID2023-151949NA-I00).