Living with Autism: Quus-ing in a Plus-ers World

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Wilkenfeld, D. A. (2019). Living with Autism: Quus-ing in a Plus-ers World. Res Philosophica, 97(1), 53-68. https://doi.org/10.11612/resphil.1819

Publication date: 5 Dec 2019 Added to AutiHub: 7 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

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1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Daniel A. Wilkenfeld *

Abstract

In this paper, I explore the possibility that the point Kripke (1982) made about understanding meaning also applies to understanding social interaction. This understanding involves extending what one has learned from a finite number of past observations to provide normative guidance for an indefinitely complicated future. Kripke argues (to my mind correctly) that what one should do in the future is inevitably underdetermined by the infinite possible interpretations of the past. Moreover, no matter how much one attempts to make the rules explicit, they will always be underspecified. I then explore the speculative hypothesis that having different tacit dispositions made manifest in one’s understanding of the rules of social engagement would look remarkably similar to tendencies exhibited by many autistic individuals. The analogy will say something substantive about how neurotypicals (and other autists) should treat the behavior of autistic individuals—if we are not even doing anything incorrect, then society should not be criticizing our means of engagement.

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These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:31.

Cited references
22
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
1 / 22 (4.5%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
1 / 17 (5.9%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 1 / 2 (50.0%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 1 / 17 (5.9%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
2 / 17 (11.8%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 2 / 17 (11.8%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 1 / 17 (5.9%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 1 / 2 (50.0%).
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