Abstract: The paper is a response to Peacocke's chapter. It begins by exploring and recasting his distinction between objects of attention and occupying attention. It goes on to consider cases of self-ascription based on conscious episodes that are not authoritative, thereby suggesting that Peacocke's treatment needs a way to characterize the kinds of conscious thought, which can provide a rational basis for authoritative self-ascription. One such kind of case is where knowledge of one's belief arises from one's apparent knowledge of how matters stand in the world. This raises a puzzle as to how directing our attention outward at the world should be to give rise to the knowledge of our own minds, and it is argued that Peacocke's possession-conditions account of self-ascription does nothing to solve it.

Keywords: attention, authoritative self-ascription, belief, conscious attitudes, Evans,