How Do You Know What You Are Doing Now?

Abstract

In this paper I explore Anscombe’s claim that agents have non-observational, non-inferential knowledge of their own actions. I show that many of the arguments against the claim are based on a misinterpretation but agree with Anscombe’s critics that her claim has certain shortcomings. The paper seeks to mitigate these by developing an alternative. I argue that agent’s knowledge of own actions is based on a grasp of previously acquired practical competence and suggest a reason-based account built on the idea of teleological activity, according to which agents know non-observationally intentional actions that fall under certain types of broad descriptions. This account of knowledge of own actions is not based on observational evidence, but on empirically grounded knowledge of capabilities, skills and past successes.