A life of the mind - with Daniel Dennett

Join the late, renowned philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel C Dennett on a captivating journey of intellectual exploration through his own life.

This lecture was recorded on 3 October 2023 at the Ri.

We had some difficulties with the internet connection at the beginning of this video, but it improves after that, so keep watching!

00:00 Introduction
2:30 The importance of making mistakes
7:30 Tools of the mind
11:20 How can you get the right knowledge?
14:24 Douglas Hofstadter and Joosting
19:46 Richard Dawkins and memes
22:57 Ruth Millikan and language
24:20 Giulio Tononi and the IIT controversy
31:50 Descartes’ mistakes
35:50 Daniel’s biggest mistake
40:43 Helping philosophers and scientists to imagine
43:07 Julian Jaynes, consciousness and dualism
48:22 More iconoclasts of philosophy
52:46 Karl Pribram and James Gibson

From his formative years in Beirut to his academic pursuits at Harvard, and from the vibrant jazz clubs of Paris to his introspective musings on his tractor in Maine, discover the stories behind some of his most influential books, such as 'Consciousness Explained' and 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea'. Whose contents have reshaped our understanding of the mind, consciousness and the nature of the human experience.

Explore Daniel's insight into thinking, as he contends that true thinking is arduous and uncertain. The pursuit of philosophical ideas is often accompanied by confusion, frustration, and self-doubt. It is through these challenging moments of error that we occasionally discover the path to profound insights.

So join us for a unique opportunity to see one of the last talks by one of the greatest philosophers of our time and come on an exhilarating journey of the mind, leaving with new insight into the path to intellectual growth.

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Daniel Clement Dennett was an American philosopher, writer, and cognitive scientist whose research centred on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science.

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[thewaythingsare]

Dog bless Dan - a unique and wonderful mind forever.

[rishabhprasad]

Remember kids : There is no such thing as philosophy-free science there is only science whose philosophical baggage is taken on board without examination.
Good night 😴😴

[bazpearce]

I love to think. It's what's kept me interested in life.

[kelleycavan]

I loved his mind and will miss him. I am currently reading From Bacteria to Bach and Back and loving it. He really understood how to make good arguments

[seionne]

Hopefully we can all remain this sharp until our last days. Thanks for all you did Dan

[f_lawless]

A fireworks display of ideas and thought, like when the Catherine wheel sets the whole box off. Delightful.

[sonarbangla]

All I can say about Dan is how he is both intelligent and not. Find how others go wrong while he gets smarter by making mistakes.

[TaimazHavadar]

داداش تو رفتی اونطرف داری صفا میکنی و هر چیزی که هدف نهاییت بوده رو اونجا ادامه میدی و تو بالاترین های انسانی هستی و هستی و تو زنده ای و اینجا همه مردند تو زنده شدی اکنون و احت شدی از این دنیای دروغین که حتی نمیتونستی خودت رو نجات بدهی..و اینجا و این دنیا ،به اندازه ی گوه یک سگ هم ارزش ندارد و اینجا فقط و فقط یک امتحان است و یک جلسه ی امتحان که خودت تست ها و سوال ها رو جواب میدهی ..‌و تو با نمره کامل پاس کردی و تو اونجا از اکیپ خودمی داداش ...خدا تو رو بیامرزد و رحمت کند که هم امرزیده و هم در رحمت و رحمانیت خدا هستی ،و خوش به حالت و خوش به حال همقطارها و هم نیت های تو..

[DouwedeJong]

the take away i had from reading this book is his advice on people starting philosophy. He emphasize that we should engage in the debate and not worry too much about definition, philosophical terms and the intellectual brouhaha.

[claudesylvanshine]

Dennett made a living concocting stories without providing evidentiary support; in sum, he was a professional bullshitter.