Dan Dennett: American Philosopher

By McKiernan

  • Early Age and Education

    Daniel C. Dennett was born March 28, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a philosopher and received his Bachelors and Doctorate in Philosophy from the University Harvard and University of Oxford respectively. He become interested in philosophy at summer camp when a counselor described him a philosopher. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, June 04). Daniel C. Dennett. Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Daniel-C-Dennett

  • Mind and Body Problem

    Mind and Body Problem
    Dennett has worked in the fields of consciousness and free will for much of his career. In his 1978 book he presented a two-stage decision making model that contrasted many other existing models. His work has been to research how the mind is connected to the physical aspects of the body. Image link:https://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/assets/searle.jpg Video link: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_dennett_the_illusion_of_consciousness

  • Atheism and Religion

    In 2006 his book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon was published. “It advanced evolutionary explanations for the development of religious thought.” (The Editors) He argued that religion is a by-product of social phenomenon and that religious adherence is an natural evolutionary occurrence. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, June 04). Daniel C. Dennett. Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Daniel-C-Dennett

  • Artificial Intelligence

    In His 2017 book From Bacteria to Bach and Back Dennett claims that artificial intelligence is possible but difficult and raises concern about the consequences of it and downplays it’s significance for the world. NonFiction Book review. (2020). Nonfiction Book Review: From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds by Daniel C. Dennett. Norton, (448p) ISBN 978-0-393-24207-2. Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-393-24207-2

  • Additional Resources

    Dennett, D. (2003). Dan Dennett. Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.ted.com/speakers/dan_dennett