Philosophy Workshop: Is it normal to be delusional?

Are people who have bizarre delusional beliefs especially irrational? Or is it, in some sense, normal to hold such beliefs? In this workshop, Dr Ema Sullivan-Bissett will invite you to consider the philosophy behind how delusions are formed.

This workshop will introduce participants to debates about delusion formation. Philosophers and psychologists have been interested in explaining how people come to, for example, believe that a loved one has been replaced by an imposter, that they are dead, or that they have been abducted by aliens.

Participants will discuss and assess various explanations for delusions and think carefully about how unusual experiences can support unusual beliefs.

Dr Ema Sullivan-Bissett is a Reader in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her main research interests are in belief, delusion, and implicit bias.

For any queries about this workshop, please email our Learning Officer, Ellie Hill.

*Tickets for this talk include free admission to Winterbourne House and Garden. There is a limited number of tickets available, and they must be pre-booked.

This talk is funded by The Royal Institute of Philosophy.