The Phenomenology of Voice-Hearing and Two Concepts of Voice
Voices in Psychosis September 8, 2022 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780192898388.003.0015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Argues that the word 'voice' can express two distinct concepts—a speech sound and a specific agent—which pick out categorically different phenomena in voice-hearing experiences. |
Abstract
Abstract The experiences described in the Voices in Psychosis transcripts are incredibly varied and yet frequently explicitly labelled by participants as ‘voices’. How can we make sense of this? If we reflect carefully on uses of the word ‘voice’, we see that it can express at least two entirely different concepts, which pick out categorically different phenomena. One concept picks out a speech sound (e.g. ‘This synthesizer has a “voice” setting’). Another concept picks out a specific agent (e.g. ‘I hear two voices: one is a ten-year-old boy . . .’). This chapter explores how these two concepts are related to each other in the context of voice-hearing.