Dennett

Daniel Dennett

By DanaGreen

  • Birth

    Daniel Dennett was born to Ruth Marjorie and Daniel Clement Dennett Jr in Boston, Massachusetts.

  • Early life

    Young Dennett spent major part of his early years in Lebanon where his father worked as a secret counter intelligence agent with the Office of Strategic Services posing as a cultural attaché to the American Embassy. At the age of five, he returned to Massachusetts after the death of his father in a mysterious plane crash.

  • Early life

    It was at the age of 11 that he was introduced to philosophy during a summer camp.

  • Graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy

  • Received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Harvard University.

  • Received his Doctor of Philosophy in philosophy at the University of Oxford.

  • Took up a teaching position at UC Irvine for six years.

  • Moved to the University of Tufts where he has been serving as a Professor.

  • Published Brainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology

    The book deals with artificial intelligence and uses the same to develop his ideas on consciousness.

  • Published The Mind’s I: Fantasies and Reflection on Self and Soul

  • Published Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting

    The book dealt with philosophical issues related to free will and determinism.

  • He came up with the work ‘Consciousness Explained’ in which he dealt with how physical and cognitive processes in the brain lead to an awakening of the consciousness. In the book, he explained the multiple drafts model of consciousness.

  • He came up with his magnum opus, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea.

    In this work he crashed on the Darwinism theory of evolution that explained natural selection was a mechanical and algorithmic process.

  • He came out with a book Freedom Evolves

    The book gave an account of free will and moral responsibilities that was in sync with his views on consciousness and personhood.

  • The American Humanist Association named him Humanist of the Year.

  • He was enlisted in the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Honorary Board of distinguished achievers.

  • Received the Erasmus Prize for his contribution in translating the cultural significance of science and technology to a wide range of audience.

  • https://youtu.be/1RF-oGPgx7E

    Published December 23, 2016