This volume investigates the unique epistemological status of self-knowledge and how it differs from our understanding of external objects and other minds. The editors, Barry C. Smith, Cynthia Macdonald, and Crispin Wright, curate a collection of essays from prominent philosophers to address the immediacy and authority inherent in self-awareness. The text explores the intersection of self-knowledge with rationality, agency, and externalist theories of psychological content to provide a rigorous framework for contemporary debate.

Experts recognize this collection as a significant contribution to the philosophy of mind, often citing it for its rigorous engagement with contemporary epistemological problems. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for advanced students and professional philosophers working within the field of self-knowledge.