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Epistemological solipsism is the philosophical idea that only one’s own mind is sure to exist and that the knowledge of anything outside one’s own direct experience is unsure [1] . In other words, the only thing that can be known with certainty is the contents of one’s own mind, and the reality of the external world and other minds cannot be conclusively proven. The 1999 science fiction film “The Matrix” provides a compelling illustration of this concept [2] . In the film, the protagonist Neo discovers that the world he has been living in is actually a simulated reality created by machines, and that his entire life has been a lie. This realisation throws into question the nature of reality and the reliability of one’s perceptions, highlighting the central tenet of epistemological solipsism—that the only thing we can be truly sure of is the contents of our own consciousness.
It’s worth considering that the philosophical concept of epistemological solipsism, which asserts that the only thing one can be certain of is the contents of one’s own mind [3], does seem to resonate with some of the cognitive and perceptual experiences often associated with autism. Many individuals on the autism spectrum report feeling a profound sense of detachment or disconnection from the external world and a difficulty in intuitively understanding the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of others [3]. This experience could be seen as analogous to the solipsistic notion that the only reality one can truly know is that of one’s own mind.
Moreover, the intense focus on one’s own mental states and the challenges of parsing social cues and communication that are characteristic of autism [4] could be seen as a kind of lived experience of the solipsistic dilemma—the difficulty of bridging the gap between one’s own consciousness and the presumed consciousness of others. In this sense, epistemological solipsism could be viewed as a philosophical framework that captures something of the subjective reality of the autistic experience.
However, it’s crucial to note that autism is a complex and varied neurological condition and not all individuals on the spectrum experience the world in the same way [5]. While some may find resonance in the idea of epistemological solipsism, others may not. Additionally, the historical emergence of solipsistic thinking in philosophy likely had more to do with broader questions about the nature of knowledge, reality, and the self than with any specific attempt to understand or rationalise autism [6].
Ultimately, while there are some intriguing conceptual connections between epistemological solipsism and certain aspects of the autistic experience, it’s important to approach these parallels with caution and nuance. Rather than viewing solipsism as a direct attempt to explain autism, it may be more productive to see it as a philosophical tool that can help illuminate certain dimensions of the neurodivergent experience and provoke further reflection on the nature of consciousness, communication, and human connection.
[1] “Solipsism.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://iep.utm.edu/solipsis/. [2] “The Matrix.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 7 Apr. 1999, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/. [3] Lombardo, Michael V., and Simon Baron-Cohen. “The Role of the Self in Mindblindness in Autism.” Consciousness and Cognition, vol. 20, no. 1, 2011, pp. 130-140., doi:10.1016/j.concog.2010.09.006.
[4] “Autism Spectrum Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd.
[5] Fletcher-Watson, Sue, and Francesca Happé. Autism: A New Introduction to Psychological Theory and Current Debate. Routledge, 2019.
[6] Thornton, Stephen. “Solipsism and the Problem of Other Minds.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://iep.utm.edu/solipsis/#SH3c.
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