Dr. Walter Veit
My guest today is Daniel C. Dennett, emeritus Professor at Tufts University and one of the most influential philosophers and cognitive scientists of his generation. He has written several highly influential and acclaimed monographs, such as Consciousness Explained, Freedom Evolves, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, and Breaking the Spell. He has also won notoriety for being one the “Four Horsemen of New Atheism”, along with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris. Today I will talk to Dennett about his recent memoir I’ve Been Thinking, his views on consciousness, free will, religion, the importance of evolution, as well as philosophy itself. I hope you will enjoy this conversation as much as I have.
Dennett’s memoir: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443818/ive-been-thinking-by-dennett-daniel-c/9780241519271
Dennett’s website: https://as.tufts.edu/philosophy/people/faculty/daniel-dennett
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I'd love a chance to chat with Mr. Dennett. It would be such an honor.
I have interrupted listening to this talk several times to obtain a copy of Nagel's 'Absurd', remind myself of the Libet experiment, and find at least a summary of Eccles and Popper's very expensive book. I have always been aware of the 'absurd' (anyone who went to English schools in the 1960s is perfectly familiar with the idea), and while it is hard to get one's head around that in ten-to-the-power–of –one-hundred years even all black holes will have evaporated, it is just as hard to answer the question "Where was I at the Big Bang?". The Libet experiment just seems to explain what before was puzzling. How does a conscious act arise out of a cloud of quarks, is much easier to answer than how does it come spontaneously into being. The argument that free will is in effect the observation of ultimate ignorance about what is going on in the head of a sentient creature or even one's own head is convincing. Put these all together and the mind-body problem does not exist. Apart from being frozen in two words – there are some Amazon tribes that lack words for concepts we consider essential so maybe there is one that has no word for 'mind' or 'body' or both – it could simply arise from the impression, noted by Douglas Harding, that one has no head, and in its place a kind of insubstantial fishbowl. Actually, in a quiet corner in my city there is a statue of Buddha that has no head, or rather someone has placed a flowerpot there instead. Whenever I feel the need for reassurance I go there and contemplate it.
Yes new Dennet talk.
The people who are not going to church and moving away from orthodox religion are still feeling spiritual and being religious in a different way. The meaning of religion has been described as that to which we are bound, in other words innate in us. If it is not directed towards a transcendent god then what is the religious impulse directed towards? That is something worthy of being considered and being concerned about. This is an interview and not a dialogue so all that is not addressed and one view goes unchallenged. Dialogue with opposing views being debated is better in clarifying an issue.
I would disagree that consciousness coming through different brains has to be uniform as minds and experiences are different.
An addendum to prior comment still a great interview, interviewer and interviewee.
I can also imagine a scenario where I would think quantum indeterminism is true – a scenario where I am a physicist who knows what he's talking about.
Great quote about insight into necessity…its same trough occupied by the zealots of philosoph and revelation, then. Both knowing they're right. I'm one of thise psychaotic solipsits myself…if there's only me how can i be wrong … How can I be the only one?
How can I be the only one?
How can I be the only one?
Can I, can I be the only one?
Good interview. I like the host’s style of asking a question and letting the guest answer fully without interruption before any followup comments/questions. Much appreciated. I read the ‘Absurd’ article by Nagel and would love to read/hear the response that Dennett mentioned. Hopefully someone has a recording or notes of the response.
48:00 Sacrifice gone. Slavery gone .Homophobia gone……………………..What about Capitalism ?Hahahahahahahahahahahahahah
not going to church is a long standing phenomenon but not starting with Mr.Dennet et al
You think that religion will disappear …Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Are those cancer spots on the top of his head? Dennett? God he looks old.
Damn he got old
dennett is boring wrong vapid and irrelevant.
how dare you invite the PHILOSOHY SOFA POTATO DANIEL DENNETT!
21:00
I would very much like to see Daniel Dennett interviewed about Michael Levin's work.
I wish I could follow Dennett's arguments for free will. He says we have the kind of autonomy that comes with being controllers of ourselves, but how is control possible if everything is determined? And who is arguing that free will has to be all or nothing? I want to understand how free will is compatible with determinism in the healthiest of minds, in the most ideal circumstances and to any degree at all!
It's not about wired wrong I would say wired in a certain way
Why the hell are you playing a cat and mouse game.