Facets of self-talk and <i>de se</i> thought

Abstract This is a plea for viewing the phenomenon of self-talk in a broader perspective of the relation between the speaker’s thought and its externalisation through speech. I -centered versus you -centered self-talk are argued to provide end points of a spectrum rather than constitute a binary categorial distinction. It is argued that Wiltschko’s ‘structure on top’ can be reconceptualised to accommodate this gradation when it is viewed as conceptual structure that is sufficiently flexible. The argument is strengthened by associating properties of self-talk with properties of indexical thought, especially broadly understood de se thought, pointing out bidirectional explanatory benefits for theory of meaning on the one hand, and philosophy of mind, notably theories of self-ascription of beliefs, on the other.