Journal Articles by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 2023
“But surely, if it’s not irrational, it can’t be OCD!” my friend exclaimed, when I told them abou... more “But surely, if it’s not irrational, it can’t be OCD!” my friend exclaimed, when I told them about the paper Carolina Flores and Brent Kious provided their excellent comments for. In all fairness, my friend isn’t working in philosophy, nor psychiatry, nor in psychology. Still, I take their sentiment to be expressive of a widely held view: if you have a certain mental illness, then you must be irrational. Conversely, rationality guarantees mental health; the sane life is the rational life.
In my paper, I attempted to complicate this picture. My main line of thought was that if the sane life is the rational life, we don’t have a good conception of rationality yet. For, our best theories of rationality fail to capture what’s going wrong in some cases of OCD. Addressing the criticisms raised by my commentators will allow me to clear up some misunderstandings and sketch avenues for further work.
Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology, 2023
It's a common assumption in psychiatry and psychotherapy that mental health conditions are marked... more It's a common assumption in psychiatry and psychotherapy that mental health conditions are marked out by some form of epistemic irrationality. With respect to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the mainstream view is that OCD causes irrational beliefs. Recently, however, this 'doxastic view' has been criticized from a theoretical and empirical perspective. Instead a more promising 'zetetic view' has been proposed which locates the epistemic irrationality of OCD not in irrational beliefs, but in the senseless inquiries it prompts. Yet, in this paper I present a special class of casessexual obsessive-compulsive disorder (S-OCD)-which cannot be explained by existing doxastic and zetetic accounts of the epistemic irrationality of OCD. In addition, some people with S-OCD appear to be adhering too well to a plausible set of norms for inquiry. Their suffering seems to be partially caused by an excess of rationality, and not a lack thereof. They seem, if anything, too rational. This shows firstly that it's unlikely that there is one form of epistemic irrationality common to all persons living with OCD. Secondly, it should lead us to rethink the epistemic categories we use in classifying mental health conditions such as OCD.
Wittgenstein Studien, 2021
What happens when we are uncertain about what we want, feel or whish for? How should we understan... more What happens when we are uncertain about what we want, feel or whish for? How should we understand uncertainty in introspection? This paper reconstructs and critically assess two answers to this question frequently found in the secondary literature on Wittgenstein: indecision and self-deception (Hacker 1990, 2012; Glock 1995, 1996). Such approaches seek to explain uncertainty in introspection in a way which is completely distinct from uncertainty about the ‘outer world’. In doing this, I argue, such accounts fail to provide an exhaustive explanation of uncertainty in introspection. In particular, they fail to account for the substantial role the intellect seems to play in the process of resolving such uncertainties. Accordingly, I sketch a reading of Wittgenstein centred around his remarks connecting psychological phenomena to public behaviour (e.g. PI 2009: 243ff., 580), which allows for the possibility of uncertainty in introspection and, moreover, accounts for the intellectual effort which often goes into knowing what one wants or feels.
Zeitschrift für Politische Theorie, 2019
Abstract: Wie soll die Zivilgesellschaft mit radikalen Akteuren wie PopulistInnen umgehen? Gilt e... more Abstract: Wie soll die Zivilgesellschaft mit radikalen Akteuren wie PopulistInnen umgehen? Gilt es, den Dialog mit ihnen zu suchen oder zu vermeiden? Sollte man ihnen zuhören, sie sprechen lassen und argumentativ zu entlarven versuchen oder ihnen kein Forum bieten und so den Zugang zum gesellschaftlichen Diskurs erschweren? Der vorliegende Artikel will diese Fragen nicht einer normativ fundierten Beantwortung zuführen, sondern analysiert und systematisiert im öffentlichen Diskurs bereits kursierende Antworten. Konkret liegt der Fokus auf Stellungnahmen, die anlässlich der Einladung der AfD-PolitikerInnen Alice Weidel und Marc Jongen an die Oxford Union (2018) bzw. an das Zürcher Theater Gessnerallee und das Hannah-Arendt-Center in New York (beide 2017) vorgebracht wurden. Es erweist sich, dass die Kontroversen einerseits auf demokratietheoretische Grundsatzfragen zurückfielen und andererseits den konkreten Kontextbedingungen der jeweiligen Events zu wenig Bedeutung schenkten.
Abstract: How should civil society deal with radical actors such as populists? Should democrats engage in an open dialogue or avoid the confrontation? Should they listen to them, let them speak and try to expose them argumentatively, or should they deny them any kind of public plattform? Rather than providing a normative answer to these questions, this article analyzes and systematizes responses that are already circulating in public discourse. In particular, we focus on reactions to the invitations of the AfD politicians Alice Weidel and Marc Jongen to the Oxford Union (2018), the Zurich Theater Gessnerallee as well as the Hannah Arendt-Center in New York (both 2017). We will show that the debates gave excessive weight to fundamental questions of democratic theory while marginalizing the specific context factors of the events. Because of this, the populists eventually gained the moral victory.
Talks by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
Talk given at the Love, Intimacy and Relationships workshop in Cambridge in June 2022.
Vortrag im Kolloquium des Lehrstuhls für Philosophische Antropologie (Prof. Luise Müller / Prof. ... more Vortrag im Kolloquium des Lehrstuhls für Philosophische Antropologie (Prof. Luise Müller / Prof. Geert Keil) an der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, im Mai 2022.
Talking as Cure Conference, 2021
Understanding Value IX Sheffield Postgraduate Conference
Can we understand someone with a different political ideology? In the age of populism and ‘identi... more Can we understand someone with a different political ideology? In the age of populism and ‘identity politics’ is there any way for non-antagonistic politics? In this talk I defend such a possibility, building on the works of Chantal Mouffe and Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Pembroke Papers
It seems like in economics political questions can be answered with evidence, instead of ideology... more It seems like in economics political questions can be answered with evidence, instead of ideology. In this talk I will take a closer look at the relation ship between economics and politics. In particular, we will ask how much economics can contribute to questions such as "What do we want to do?" or "Which kind of society do we want to live in?".
Held 15.10.2020 at Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Proceedings of the 42th International Wittgenstein Symposium, 2019
In this paper I want to examine an approach to uncertainty in introspection frequently found in t... more In this paper I want to examine an approach to uncertainty in introspection frequently found in the secondary literature on Wittgenstein: indecision. Commentators such as P.M.S. Hacker claim that indecision can explain uncertainty in introspection in a way which is completely distinct from explanations of uncertainty in perception or uncertainty about the ‘outer world’ in general. Crucially, following Hacker’s reading of Wittgenstein, the concept of a fallible observation – an “observation in the proper sense” – does not and cannot come into play in the context of introspection. In applying indecision to an important and common case of uncertainty in introspection, namely being uncertain where to study, I put this view to test. I argue that Hacker’s claim is too strong and that insofar as indecision can explain important cases of uncertainty in introspection it makes use of the concept of a fallible observation in the proper sense. Thus, I can show that in certain instances uncertainty in introspection is not altogether unlike uncertainty concerning the ‘outer world’.
In diesem Vortrag werde ich über den Einfluss Ludwig Wittgensteins auf zwei amerikanische Künstl... more In diesem Vortrag werde ich über den Einfluss Ludwig Wittgensteins auf zwei amerikanische Künstler der Gegenwart, Jasper Johns und Bruce Nauman sprechen. Nach einer kurzen Einleitung, bespreche ich zuerst Jasper Johns und seine Verbindungen zu Wittgenstein. In diesem Teil des Vortrages orientiere ich mich u. A. an einer Vorlesung die Professor Sebastian Egenhofer im Herbstsemester 2015 hier an der Universität Zürich hielt. Anschliessend wende ich mich Bruce Naumann zu und versuche plausibel zu machen, dass und wo man bei ihm Bezüge finden kann.
Teaching Documents by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
The ‘private language arguments’ are a culmination point of thoughts developed throughout the who... more The ‘private language arguments’ are a culmination point of thoughts developed throughout the whole Investigations. In §258 the issue of ostensive definition is taken up, initially this appeared in §28. The theme of rule-following explored around §201 plays a pivotal role in the example of the private diarist in §270. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Wittgenstein’s attack on the ‘Augustinian picture of language’ which initiates the Investigations in §§1ff. underlies and accompanies his criticism of a certain conception of the mind in the discussion of pain in §244 and others. In this paper I want to follow these threads back to their origin, thereby elucidating the issue at stake in the private language arguments. Consequently, I start with an examination of ostensive definitions, then I turn to rules and their following. Lastly, I show some examples from the history of philosophy which show what Wittgenstein was arguing against and discuss some implications of his theory for methodological assumptions for the philosophy of psychology.
Wie beginnt man das Studium des Traktatus? Natürlich mit dem Lesen. Doch Wittgensteins knappe, in... more Wie beginnt man das Studium des Traktatus? Natürlich mit dem Lesen. Doch Wittgensteins knappe, inhaltsverzeichnis-artige Sprache führt rasch dazu, dass ein anfänglicher Enthusiasmus in Verständnislosigkeit kippt. Man muss also einen Eingang, eine Bresche ins Bollwerk des Traktatus schlagen. Aber wie?
Media by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
Phi Magazine, 2020
This article engages in some form of philosophical imagination by picturing Wittgenstein looking ... more This article engages in some form of philosophical imagination by picturing Wittgenstein looking at a monochrome blue painting by Yves Klein and reflecting on what these paintings could have meant for his philosophical outlook.
Chaosmotics, 2020
Economics has long been perceived as an unattractively technocratic discipline. Recently, this tr... more Economics has long been perceived as an unattractively technocratic discipline. Recently, this trend seems to reverse, as economics becomes more popular among young people devoted to change the world for the better. Effective altruists, who seek to do the most good in the most efficient way, recommend that students acquire a PhD in economics, because “you have a high chance of landing an impactful research job” and it is “one of the most promising graduate study options for people who want to make a difference” (Duda 2015).
It is argued that tackling some of today’s pressing political problems such as climate change, income inequality or racism within the economical framework has the advantage of, unlike in less quantitative subjects such as history or sociology, dealing with such political issues with evidence, instead of ideology. But what exactly is the link between politics and economics? How do these two fields interact? And, can economics be trusted in taking care of the most pressing questions of today in a neutral and unideological way?
Looking at the relationship between economic thinking and politics, this essay suggests an answer.
Geschichte der Gegenwart, 2018
Das Wort wird selten ausgesprochen und ist dennoch fast in jeder politischen Debatte präsent: Ob ... more Das Wort wird selten ausgesprochen und ist dennoch fast in jeder politischen Debatte präsent: Ob um genderneutrale Toiletten, niedrigere Steuersätze für Was ist #Gerechtigkeit? Der Streit darüber dauert schon 2000 Jahre-und ist erneut aktuell Was ist gerecht? Seit Aristoteles wird diese Frage in der westlichen Welt kontrovers diskutiert. Heute hat sie zwei Dimensionen: Gerechtigkeit ist nicht nur eine Frage der Verteilung von Einkommen und Vermögen, sondern auch der Verteilung von Anerkennung und Repräsentation.
OecNews – Zeitschrift der Fachvereines Oekonomie mit OecAlumni News, Oct 20, 2017
In der ersten Serie von "In der Küche" steht mir Daniel Hitzig, Medien- und Kommunikationsverantw... more In der ersten Serie von "In der Küche" steht mir Daniel Hitzig, Medien- und Kommunikationsverantwortlicher beim Schweizer NGO und Think-and-Do-Tank Alliance Sud Rede und Antwort zur Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in der Schweiz. Alliance Sud lobbyiert in der Schweizer Politik im Interesse der Menschen in den ärmsten Ländern der Welt und begleitet und hinterfragt konstruktiv die Schweizer Entwicklungszusammenarbeit. Wir haben u.A. über die DEZA, Kolonialismus und effektiven Altruismus geredet.
OecNews – Zeitschrift des Fachvereins Oekonomie mit OecAlumni News, Apr 2018
In der zweiten Serie von "In der Küche" rede ich mit dem Architekten und Schriftsteller Tibor Pat... more In der zweiten Serie von "In der Küche" rede ich mit dem Architekten und Schriftsteller Tibor Pataky über den deutschen Künstler Jospeh Beuys (1921-1986), seine Schüler und die Zeit von 1960 bis 1975 in Düsseldorf. Tibor Pataky (*1970) hat im Jahr 2015 den Roman Fruchtmann veröffentlicht, in dem es um einen fiktiven Schüler von Beuys geht. Die Ich-Person befindet sich in einer Schaffens- und Lebenskrise und wendet sich in einem Brief an seinen ehemaligen Lehrer. Zwischen Anklage und Bewunderung verarbeitet die Ich-Person ihre Beziehung zu Beuys und ver-sucht sich so einen Reim auf ihre Lebensgeschichte zu machen. Pataky hat sich neben seiner Arbeit als Architekt und Assistent an der ETH und EPFL intensiv mit Beuys beschäftig und für die Recherche viele Gespräche mit verschiedenen ehemaligen Schülern von Beuys geführt.
OecNews, 2016
In der Ökonomik wird ein sehr spezifischer Rationalitätsbegriff verwendet, es gibt eine eigene ... more In der Ökonomik wird ein sehr spezifischer Rationalitätsbegriff verwendet, es gibt eine eigene ökonomische Bedeutung des Wortes “rational”. Dieses Verständnis von Rationalität ist aber nicht das einzig mögliche, sondern historisch und philosophisch sind viele andere Bedeutungen dieses Wortes auszumachen. Dessen sollte man sich im Wirtschaftsstudium bewusst sein und nicht vergessen, dass “rational” im ökonomischen Sinne nicht auto- matisch mit einer allgemeinen Bedeutung von “vernünftig” gleichzusetzen ist.
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Journal Articles by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
In my paper, I attempted to complicate this picture. My main line of thought was that if the sane life is the rational life, we don’t have a good conception of rationality yet. For, our best theories of rationality fail to capture what’s going wrong in some cases of OCD. Addressing the criticisms raised by my commentators will allow me to clear up some misunderstandings and sketch avenues for further work.
Abstract: How should civil society deal with radical actors such as populists? Should democrats engage in an open dialogue or avoid the confrontation? Should they listen to them, let them speak and try to expose them argumentatively, or should they deny them any kind of public plattform? Rather than providing a normative answer to these questions, this article analyzes and systematizes responses that are already circulating in public discourse. In particular, we focus on reactions to the invitations of the AfD politicians Alice Weidel and Marc Jongen to the Oxford Union (2018), the Zurich Theater Gessnerallee as well as the Hannah Arendt-Center in New York (both 2017). We will show that the debates gave excessive weight to fundamental questions of democratic theory while marginalizing the specific context factors of the events. Because of this, the populists eventually gained the moral victory.
Talks by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
Held 15.10.2020 at Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Teaching Documents by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
Media by Pablo Hubacher Haerle
It is argued that tackling some of today’s pressing political problems such as climate change, income inequality or racism within the economical framework has the advantage of, unlike in less quantitative subjects such as history or sociology, dealing with such political issues with evidence, instead of ideology. But what exactly is the link between politics and economics? How do these two fields interact? And, can economics be trusted in taking care of the most pressing questions of today in a neutral and unideological way?
Looking at the relationship between economic thinking and politics, this essay suggests an answer.
In my paper, I attempted to complicate this picture. My main line of thought was that if the sane life is the rational life, we don’t have a good conception of rationality yet. For, our best theories of rationality fail to capture what’s going wrong in some cases of OCD. Addressing the criticisms raised by my commentators will allow me to clear up some misunderstandings and sketch avenues for further work.
Abstract: How should civil society deal with radical actors such as populists? Should democrats engage in an open dialogue or avoid the confrontation? Should they listen to them, let them speak and try to expose them argumentatively, or should they deny them any kind of public plattform? Rather than providing a normative answer to these questions, this article analyzes and systematizes responses that are already circulating in public discourse. In particular, we focus on reactions to the invitations of the AfD politicians Alice Weidel and Marc Jongen to the Oxford Union (2018), the Zurich Theater Gessnerallee as well as the Hannah Arendt-Center in New York (both 2017). We will show that the debates gave excessive weight to fundamental questions of democratic theory while marginalizing the specific context factors of the events. Because of this, the populists eventually gained the moral victory.
Held 15.10.2020 at Pembroke College, Cambridge.
It is argued that tackling some of today’s pressing political problems such as climate change, income inequality or racism within the economical framework has the advantage of, unlike in less quantitative subjects such as history or sociology, dealing with such political issues with evidence, instead of ideology. But what exactly is the link between politics and economics? How do these two fields interact? And, can economics be trusted in taking care of the most pressing questions of today in a neutral and unideological way?
Looking at the relationship between economic thinking and politics, this essay suggests an answer.