Daniel Dennett

Life

• Daniel Dennett: Born in 1942, Boston, Massachusetts; earned BA from Harvard (1963) and DPhil from Oxford (1965).
• Professor at Tufts University since 1971, co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies.
• Key figure in philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology.

People Who Influenced Their Thought

• Gilbert Ryle: His concept of "ghost in the machine" shaped Dennett's rejection of Cartesian dualism.
• W.V.O. Quine: Influenced his naturalistic approach to philosophy.
• Alan Turing: Inspired his computational theory of consciousness.

Main Ideas and Publications

• Consciousness Explained: Published in 1991, proposed the "multiple drafts model" of consciousness.
• Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Published in 1995, defended evolutionary theory's philosophical implications.
• Breaking the Spell: Published in 2006, naturalistic account of religion's evolution.
• Concept of "intentional stance" (1971): Strategy for predicting behavior by treating entities as rational agents.

Key People Influenced by Their Thought

• Patricia Churchland: Collaborated on neurophilosophy and eliminative materialism.
• Richard Dawkins: Applied Dennett's evolutionary ideas in biology.
• Andy Clark: Extended Dennett's views on extended cognition.

Conclusion

• Daniel Dennett's naturalistic, evolutionary approach revolutionized philosophy of mind, making consciousness a scientifically tractable phenomenon.