Prolegomena to Any Theory of Deception

Vladimir Krstic (United Arab Emirates University)

I would like to draw your attention to the following online philosophy seminar series, hosting by the Center for International Philosophy at Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai this semester.  

On April 4th, 2pm China Standard Time, Vladimir Krstic (Assistant Professor at the United Arab Emirates University) will be presenting a talk entitled "Prolegomena to Any Theory of Deception"  

Attendance is free.

Please register for the event by sending an email to [email protected] for the Zoom link and password.

Abstract: We all agree that no theory of deception can count misleading by accident or by mistake as deception. Deception is a success word whereas accidents and mistakes involve failures. However, most of us fail to realise not only that accidents are not the same as mistakes but also that these two failures are only the tip of the iceberg. Many other failures may causally contribute towards misleading an organism that no theory should classify as deception — various kinds of errors, for example. In this article, I try to develop a pre-theoretical conceptual framework that systematizes all these failures. In short, I try to provide a comprehensive list of things that should not be counted as deception. I first build this framework and argue that any theory of deception must be consistent with it. I then use it to test some theories.

Bio: Vladimir Krstic’s current research focuses on some traditional themes in the philosophy of language and philosophy of mind, and on a cluster of issues at the intersection of the philosophy of language, philosophical psychology, ethics, and, increasingly, the philosophy of technology.

Specifically, it involves developing a novel theory of lying, manipulation, deception (including the nature of information and misinformation), and self-deception in detail. By improving our theories of lying and deception, Krstic aims to make self-deception less mysterious.

He is also developing a new digital epistemological framework to account for the harm caused by using deepfakes. This framework is specifically designed to account for the epistemic harm of non-malevolent deepfakes; Kristic is investigating how using deepfakes for fun aids those using them for deceptive purposes.

Note: The talk is at 2pm China Standard Time on April the 4th:

- In Australasia that is the same day, 7pm NZDT

- For people in the EU that is the same day, 8am CEST

- For people in North America that is the previous day, 11pm PST