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PhD Dissertation, 1965
In 1965 Daniel Dennett earned his Doctor of Philosophy after publishing his dissertation entitled "The Mind and the Brain: Introspective Description in the Light of Neurological Findings; Intentionality". This began his career as a prominent figure in cognitive science. Daniel C. Dennett, (1965). The Mind and the Brain: Introspective Description in the Light of Neurological Findings; Intentionality". Oxford University Research Archive. Oxford University. Retrieved 24 October 2017. -
TEDTalk
In 2003 Dennett gave a TEDTalk that illustrates his work as a cognitive scientist, and his argument as a philosopher of mind. He deconstructs the processes of the mind to show gaps in our cognitive self-concept. He shows that the concept we have of our own consciousness is partly an elaborate trick that leads us to ask bad philosophical questions about the mind and reject likely truths.
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_dennett_on_our_consciousness/transcript?language=en#t-1289718 -
4 Horsemen
In 2007 Daniel Dennett joined in a filmed conversation with other major atheist thinkers that became famous enough to popularly label them as "The Four Horsemen of Atheism." His views are put forth in his book "Darwin's Dangerous Idea", in which he showcases the idea that complex designs may not require a designer, and how something as complex as consciousness can come from evolution. Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin's dangerous idea : evolution and the meanings of life. London: Penguin, 1996. Print. -
Newest Book
In 2017 he released his newest book, "From Bacteria to Bach and Back" which distills his current understanding of the materialist approach to the mind, describing how it is possible for non-conscious systems to arrive at consciousness, and why this shouldn't be surprising to us.
Dennett, D. C. From bacteria to Bach and back : the evolution of minds. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2017. Print. -
Why Philosophy of Science?
This is hardly a milestone in his life, but he gives a little interview describing why he believes philosophy of science is important, despite being more interested in the science of science himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whHqJUbJJSo