Philosopher, born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He studied at Oxford (1965), then taught at the University of California (196571), and became a professor at Tufts, specializing in philosophy of mind and of the social sciences. He won prominence for such studies as Consciousness Explained (1991).
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Western Philosophy 20th-century philosophy |
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| Name: | Daniel Dennett |
| Birth: | March 28, 1942 |
| School/tradition: | Analytic Philosophy |
| Main interests: | philosophy of mind, philosophy of biology, philosophy of science |
| Notable ideas: | Heterophenomenology |
| Influences: |
Gilbert Ryle, W.V.O. Dennett's research centers on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and
cognitive science.BiographyDaniel Dennett attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and received his B.A. Dennett is currently (August 2005) the Austin B. He gave the John Locke Lectures at the University of Oxford in 1983, the Gavin David Young Lectures at Adelaide, Australia, in 1985, and the Tanner Lecture at Michigan in 1986, among many others. Dennett is the author of several major books on evolution and consciousness. Dennett is also well known for his argument against qualia; AppearanceDennett is notable for his personal appearance; his beard, bodily weight, and face are thought by some to make him resemble Santa Claus: The doctor for these difficulties looks like Santa Claus. His name is Daniel Dennett. Philosophical ViewsDennett has remarked in several places (such as "Self-portrait", in Brainchildren) that his overall philosophical project has remained largely the same since his time at Oxford. While it is clear that Dennett does not subscribe to a number of categories (such as Cartesian materialism and Dualism), it is less clear which ones he fits into. As Dennett discussed: [Others] note that my 'avoidance of the standard philosophical terminology for discussing such matters' often creates problems for me; My refusal to play ball with my colleagues is deliberate, of course, since I view the standard philosophical terminology as worse than useless--a major obstacle to progress since it consists of so many errors —Daniel Dennett, The Message is: There is no Medium Dennett will self-identify with a few terms. In Consciousness Explained, Dennett's interest in the ability of evolution to explain some of the content-producing features of consciousness is already apparent, and this has since become an integral part of his program. Role in Evolutionary DebateDennett's views on evolution are identified as being strongly adaptationist, in line with the views of zoologist Richard Dawkins. In Darwin's Dangerous Idea, Dennett showed himself even more willing than Dawkins to defend adaptationism in print, devoting an entire chapter to a criticism of the views of paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. This has led to some backlash from Gould and his supporters, who allege that Dennett overstated his claims and misrepresented Gould's. HealthIn October 2006, Dennett was rushed by ambulance to a hospital where it was determined by CT scan that he had a dissection of the aorta. In an essay posted on the Edge website, Dennett gives his firsthand account of his health problems, his consequent feelings of gratitude towards the scientists and doctors whose hard work made his recovery possible, and his complete lack of a "deathbed conversion" . Partial bibliographyBrainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology (MIT Press 1981) (ISBN 0-262-54037-1) Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting (MIT Press 1984) - on free will and determinism (ISBN 0-262-04077-8) The Mind's I (Bantam, Reissue edition 1985, with Douglas Hofstadter) (ISBN 0-553-34584-2) Content and Consciousness (Routledge & 2nd ed edition January 1986) (ISBN 0-7102-0846-4) The Intentional Stance (MIT Press; reprint edition 1989) (ISBN 0-262-54053-3) Consciousness Explained (Back Bay Books 1992) (ISBN 0-316-18066-1) Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (Simon & Reprint edition 1996) (ISBN 0-684-82471-X) Kinds of Minds: Towards an Understanding of Consciousness (Basic Books 1997) (ISBN 0-465-07351-4) Brainchildren: Essays on Designing Minds (Representation and Mind) (MIT Press 1998) (ISBN 0-262-04166-9) - A Collection of Essays 1984-1996 Freedom Evolves (Viking Press 2003) (ISBN 0-670-03186-0) Sweet Dreams: Philosophical Obstacles to a Science of Consciousness (Jean Nicod Lectures) (Bradford Books 2005) (ISBN 0-262-04225-8) Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (Penguin Group 2006) (ISBN 0-670-03472-X) Dove nascono le idee", Di Renzo Editore, 2006, ItalyTexts on Dennett"Dennett: Reconciling Science and Our Self-Conception" Matthew Elton (Polity Press, 2003) (ISBN 0-7456-2117-1) Daniel Dennett edited by Andrew Brook and Don Ross (Cambridge University Press 2000) (ISBN 0-521-00864-6) Dennett's Philosophy: A Comprehensive Assessment edited by Don Ross, Andrew Brook and David Thompson (MIT Press 2000) (ISBN 0-262-18200-9) Dennett, among others, is discussed in John Brockman's The Third Culture. On Dennett John Symons (Wadsworth Publishing Company 2000) (ISBN 0-534-57632-X) Dennett is mentioned on numerous occasions in David J. Chalmers' The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory, as Chalmers discusses his theory (ISBN 0-19-511789-1). … The appreciation of meanings - their discrimination and delectation - is central to our vision of consciousness, but this conviction that I, on the inside, deal directly with meanings turns out to be something rather like a benign 'user-illusion.'—Daniel Dennett, Brainchildren |
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