Where Does Consciousness Come From? | Daniel Dennett

Robinson's Podcast #194 - Daniel Dennett: Consciousness, Free Will, and the Evolution of Minds

Daniel Dennett is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Tufts University, where he was co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy. He is one of the most recognized philosophers today, and has made major contributions to the philosophy of mind and biology, among other areas, and is known as one of the Four Horsemen of Atheism. Dan’s latest book is I’ve Been Thinking (W. W. Norton, 2023), though much of what he and Robinson discuss comes from his earlier book, From Bacteria to Bach and Back (W. W. Norton, 2017). More particularly, they talk about the origin of life and reasons, the evolution of music, Robert Sapolsky and free will, famous thought experiments in the philosophy of mind, the origin of consciousness, and the relationship between mind and language.

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.

[avaraportti]

Nobody can define or unambiguously explain what the word "consciousness" means. All statements about such a vacuous concept are nonsensical.

[elgar]

Consciousness is just a label we've decided to assign our awareness of run time self. It doesn't 'come' from anywhere. It isn't a mysterious force. In fact it might be the least mysterious thing about us.