Dorothy Salisbury Davis
novelist, short story writer
Daniel Dennett was an American philosopher and cognitive scientist who made significant contributions to the philosophy of mind, science, and biology. He was a prominent proponent of materialism and presented his arguments for a physicalist understanding of consciousness in his influential book ‘Consciousness Explained’.
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About the Daniel Dennett
Daniel Clement Dennett IIIwas an American philosopher and cognitive scientist. His research centered on the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science.
Dennett is widely regarded as a proponent of materialism in the philosophy of mind. He argues that mental states, including consciousness, are entirely the result of physical processes in the brain. In his book Consciousness Explained (1991), Dennett presents his arguments for a materialist understanding of consciousness, rejecting Cartesian dualism in favor of a physicalist perspective.
Dennett was the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University in Massachusetts. Dennett was a member of the editorial board for The Rutherford Journal and a co-founder of The Clergy Project.
A vocal atheist and secularist, Dennett has been described as “one of the most widely read and debated American philosophers”. He was referred to as one of the “Four Horsemen” of New Atheism, along with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Daniel Dennett was born on March 28, 1942.
Daniel Dennett’s research centered on the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of biology, particularly as they relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science.
Daniel Dennett argued that mental states, including consciousness, are entirely the result of physical processes in the brain, rejecting Cartesian dualism in favor of a physicalist perspective.
Daniel Dennett was the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Daniel Dennett was described as one of the ,Four Horsemen, of New Atheism, along with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens.
In his book ‘Consciousness Explained’, Daniel Dennett presented his arguments for a materialist understanding of consciousness, which had a significant impact on the philosophy of mind.
Daniel Dennett passed away on April 19, 2024.
4 Quotes by Daniel Dennett
- 1.
The problem is that no ethical system has ever achieved consensus. Ethical systems are completely unlike mathematics or science. This is a source of concern.
Daniel DennettAmerican philosopher (1942-2024)
- 2.
The juvenile sea squirt wanders through the sea searching for a suitable rock or hunk of coral to cling to and make its home for life. For this task, it has a rudimentary nervous system. When it finds its spot and takes root, it doesn’t need its brain anymore so it eats it!
Daniel DennettAmerican philosopher (1942-2024)
- 3.
Darwin’s idea of natural selection makes people uncomfortable because it reverses the direction of tradition.
Daniel DennettAmerican philosopher (1942-2024)
- 4.
I think many people are terribly afraid of being demoted by the Darwinian scheme from the role of authors and creators in their own right into being just places where things happen in the universe.
Daniel DennettAmerican philosopher (1942-2024)