The Pathos of "Mindblindness": Autism, Science, and Sadness in "Theory of Mind" Narratives

• DOI: 10.3828/jlcds.2011.16
• Publication Date: 2011-06-11T01:52:50Z
• Authors: John Duffy; Rebecca Dorner
• Keywords: Pathos; Sadness

Of the many scientific and medical discourses that purport to explain, analyze, demystify, or even cure autism, few have been as influential in recent decades Theory of Mind (ToM) account, which holds autistic people are incapable intuiting intentions emotions others therefore mindblind, live with mindblindness, a condition separates them from other human beings. ToM is regarded by its more ardent advocates primary deficit autism key understanding cognition behaviors. The article considers rhetoric ToM. authors argue despite foundations language cognitive psychology, it discourse affect values, sadness mourned they ostensibly explained.