Dan Degerman

"Break the silence" slogans can harm more than help BJPsych argues silence in mental illness isn't always stigma, sometimes it's a symptom (depression) or a coping strategy (mania) We need space for "positive silence" instead of pressure
#WorldPhilosophyDay2025
#philsky #philpsy #epistemicinjustice

New paper! Its main idea is simple but overlooked: rumination isn’t just persistent negative thinking. It can also involve losing the ability to stop inner speech. This explains why rumination feels overwhelming and why practices cultivating inner silence make a difference.

doi.org/10.1080/0020...

The Epistemic Determinants of Health Health and illness are significantly determined by knowledge and its communication. At first glance, this might seem obvious; people use healthcare systems when they suspect that something might be wr...

I'm really excited to finally be able to share this after months of work - our new Project EPIC report on the epistemic determinants of health. With over 20 contributors, we make the case for incorporating this new framework into existing determinants of health models:

bci-hub.org/documents/ep...

Rethinking silence and epistemic agency in mental illness

Silence isn't always a symptom to be 'fixed' in mental illness. In this post for the Project EPIC Blog, I examine how silence can be an act of epistemic agency, particularly for individuals experiencing mania.

epistemicinjusticeinhealthcareproject.blogspot.com/2025/06/reth...

I'm not sure, but if it is, I'll post a link to the recording!

I'm talking about the medicalisation of silence at a philosophy workshop at @swanseauni.bsky.social on Friday. Looking forward to the seaside air and talks by the other speakers, including @annabortolan.bsky.social!

Hope you can attend (in person or online): philevents.org/event/show/1...

Explanatory essentialism and cryptic species - European Journal for Philosophy of Science Explanatory Essentialism (EE) is the view that a property is the essence of a kind because it causally explains the many properties that instances of the kind exhibit. This paper examines an applicati...

I am thrilled to share my latest paper, "Explanatory Essentialism and Cryptic Species," on this platform. I show how concrete biological research challenges one of the strongest arguments for biological essentialism.
#philosophy #biology #essentialism #newpaper

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The structure of silence in depression - Synthese Silence has been a relatively neglected phenomenon despite its significance in psychiatric research. Acknowledging this oversight, there has been a recent move towards systematically describing the fi...

How can we help people with depression who can't find anything to say? Through 'undemanding silence', argues my colleague Jae Ryeong Sul in his most recent article.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Silence as epistemic agency in mania - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Silence is a byword for socially imposed harm in the burgeoning literature on epistemic injustice in psychiatry. While some silence is harmful and should be broken, this understanding of silence is un...

Is silence always harmful in mental illness? My new article challenges this assumption. For those experiencing mania, reclaiming silence can be a powerful act of epistemic agency—enabling them to acquire, maintain, and share knowledge on their own terms. link.springer.com/article/10.1...