What, Why & How do we Know ?
Just a holding post for an issue that keeps cropping up in Dennett (see previous post). Who is me ? In the sections on will and quasi-altruistic (long term enlightened) self-interest, he mentions something I’ve raised before – often in nationalism / political debates – is the me / we distinction. In considering what is … Continue reading “Identify Yourself”
I mentioned earlier I had started reading Dennett’s “Freedom Evolves” and it seemed promising then. I actually think it’s his best yet. Convincing common-sense and hugely entertaining, with some great laugh-out loud gags for good measure. He’s working up to the evolution of morality and values, via the arms race and economics of mental evolution. … Continue reading “Why Waste a Perfectly Good Horse’s Head ?”
Just started reading Dan Dennett’s 2003 “Freedom Evolves”. I’ve had it quite some time, but I’m not sure why I’ve only just picked it up. First off, it slays any doubts that Dennett is one of those who believes consciousness and free-will are illusory and in any sense non-existent. I always knew he was too … Continue reading “Free Will is Real”
Two links thanks to Sam at Elizaphanian. A two part interview in Der Spiegel with Dan Dennett about the ID-Creationism vs neo-Darwinism debate. [Now read through completely. Nothing new. Just Dennett’s Darwinian put-down of any need for a super-natural causal god. Inlcudes the memetic argument for the self-preserving evolution of religions themselves. Also inlcudes the … Continue reading “The Creationism Meme”
For those who, like me, responded to Daniel Dennett’s 1991 “Consciousness Explained” with “Hardly” [*], I must heartily recommend his short 2005 book “Sweet Dreams – Philosophical Obstacles to a Science of Consciousness” and his interview with Sue Blackmore in her 2005 “Conversations on Consciousness” as altogether more satisfying. As he admits “Fantasy Echo”, his … Continue reading “Fantasy Echoes of The Meme Machine”
Sorry, heard this yesterday, but it has to be commented on. Kansas school board has used gaps in witnessed first-hand evidence “for” Darwinism to say it is “unproven”, unlike divine creationism no doubt (!) When will these guys get their own education in what science is about, before they get to wield this kind of … Continue reading “Suffer the Little Children”
Whilst being a fan of both Blackmore and Dennett, one of their claims I have trouble with is the idea that consciousness (and free-will) is an illusion. I’m never sure if that’s a claim that it isn’t therefore real, which would clearly be preposterous, or simply that it shares some attributes with illusions, which is … Continue reading “That Conscious Illusion”
The Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness. A CalTech based group I’d not noticed before. I see Dennett is president-elect, and Chalmers and Metzinger are members at large, Ned Block and Christof Koch are past presidents. Next conference is June 2006, St Annes College Oxford.