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Daniel C. Dennett's Birth
Daniel C. Dennett was born in March, 1942. His father was a diplomat and scholar of Islamic history. Dennett's mother was an editor and teacher. -
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Personal Notes: Birth and Academic Pursuits
Dennett was born in Boston, Massachusetts to educated parents. Throughout his young adult life, Dennett pursued with great success a life in academia and studied at prestigious universities. -
Dennett's Undergraduate & Graduate Work
Dennett attended Harvard University and obtained a B.A. in philosophy in 1963. Following graduation, Dennett moved to Great Britain to attend the University of Oxford and study under the tutelage of Gilbert Ryle. -
Dennett's Doctoral Pursuits
During his doctoral work at Oxford, Dennett would begin his fascination with the topic of consciousness. Shortly after completing his doctoral degree (D.Phil. in Philosophy) in 1965, he adapted his doctoral thesis topic into his book "Content and Consciousness". -
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Professional Career: University of California, Irvine
Upon graduation from Oxford in 1965, Dennett returned to the United States to take up a teaching position at the University of California, Irvine. -
Major Publications: Content and Consciousness
Dennett's work during his doctoral dissertation has been instrumental in his primary focus, both in his publications and in his professional teaching career. In 1969, Dennett updated his doctoral thesis topic in his work "Content and Consciousness." -
Tufts University
Dennett left the University of California, Irvine, to take up a position in Massachusetts. He has been active at the university since in numerous leadership and instructor positions. -
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Professional Career: Tufts University
Dennett left his position at the University of California to accept a position at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.
In 1985 Dennett was made the director of the university's Center for Cognitive Studies.
In 2000 Dennett was appointed as a Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy. -
Major Publications: Consciousness Explained
Dennett's fascination with conscious and the mind-body problem has directed much of his work and major publications. -
Major Publications: Darwin's Dangerous Idea
In this work, Dennett continues his examination of consciousness and focuses on how the mindless process of natural selection has impacted the evolution of the brain and how this has impacted consciousness. -
Major Publications: Kinds of Minds
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The Four Horsemen
Throughout his work Dennett stressed an understanding of consciousness. He saw no space for religious beliefs. In 2005 Dennett published "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon." Dennett's atheistic views coincided notably with three other scientists/philosophers/atheists Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris. In 2007 the four held a, now famous, conversation in which they discuss their views on religion and science. Their talk is available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DKhc1pcDFM -
Major Publications: Other Tools for Thinking
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Het Denkgelag Discussion
Dennett has remained active as a public intellectual, writer and professor at Tufts University. As just one example of his continued activity, in 2013 he joined Krauss and Pigliucci on a discussion with Het Denkgelag in which the three discussed the philosophy of science and a number of other fascinating topics. The video of their discussion can be found at youtube via the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tH3AnYyAI8 -
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Personal Notes: Sold his farm to refocus on his research
In 2014 Dennett choose to downsize and sold his farm in Maine, a property which he had held as a hobbyist for some years. He settled on an island in Maine to pursue his research. He remains active at Tufts University in his various functions.