Consciousness Explained
Item Description
Consciousness is notoriously difficult to explain. On one hand, there are facts about conscious experience--the way clarinets sound, the way lemonade tastes--that we know subjectively, from the inside. On the other hand, such facts are not readily accommodated in the objective world described by science. How, after all, could the reediness of clarinets or the tartness of lemonade be predicted in advance? Central to Daniel C. Dennett's attempt to resolve this dilemma is the "heterophenomenological" method, which treats reports of introspection nontraditionally--not as evidence to be used in explaining consciousness, but as data to be explained. Using this method, Dennett argues against the myth of the Cartesian theater--the idea that consciousness can be precisely located in space or in time. To replace the Cartesian theater, he introduces his own multiple drafts model of consciousness, in which the mind is a bubbling congeries of unsupervised parallel processing. Finally, Dennett tackles the conventional philosophical questions about consciousness, taking issue not only with the traditional answers but also with the traditional methodology by which they were reached.
Dennett's writing, while always serious, is never solemn; who would have thought that combining philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience could be such fun? Not every reader will be convinced that Dennett has succeeded in explaining consciousness; many will feel that his account fails to capture essential features of conscious experience. But none will want to deny that the attempt was well worth making. --Glenn Branch
Product Details
- Author: Daniel C. Dennett
- Publication Date: 1992-10-20
- Publisher: Back Bay Books
- Product Group: Book
- Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
- Binding: Paperback, 528 pages
- Features:
- ISBN13: 9780316180665
- Condition: New
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
- Package Dimensions:
- Dimensions: 800L x 550W x 120H
- Weight: 125
- List Price: $17.99
- ISBN: 0316180661
- ASIN: 0316180661
Customer Reviews
Average Amazon User Rating:
4 1/2 STARS, DEEP STUFF!
2010-08-04
Reviewer: G. Cati
MIXES PHILOSOPHY WITH SCIENCES AS IT SHOULD BE, DEEP LINGO, AT TIMES OFF TOPIC TRYING TO PROVE WHAT CANT B PROVEN BUT HAS GOOD POINTS, OTHERWISE THEORY NOT DISPROVEN, ONLY SOME PARTS BUT THOSE ARE HIS CREATIONS!
Ultimately unconvincing
2010-07-18
Reviewer: John Scott
Dennett is always easy to read and often includes many, many intriguing arguments which allow you to see the problems from different perspectives. And, whether you're inclined to agree with him or not, I do recommend reading the book.
Having said that... Dennett early on seems to be confusing memory with real time consciousness. Of course, that's the natural consequence of third person perspective: Another person recounting what he was conscious of will in the end only be recounting memories, and not real time consciousness, which only the first person can be aware of.
He then goes on to confirm the suspicion that he is confusing memory for consciousness, endorsing the view that, "if it isn't written down (committed to memory) it didn't happen." He uses this to reject consciousness of thing that the agent did see, but memories of which were "obliterated" almost instantly. This seems to miss the mark entirely; it commits us to calling memory consciousness, and consciousness memory, while foregoing any reference to what we actually experience without committing to memory (e.g., Dennett's formerly unconscious driving experience.)
He also seems to deny the possibility of non-perceptual consciousness, which seems a bit odd.
A must read
2010-04-28
Reviewer: Israel Drazin
Daniel C. Dennett is one of a handful of leading unbelievers. He is a scientist who questions the existence of God. The New York Times considered Consciousness Explained "one of the ten best books of the year." Dennett writes clearly and interestingly. Even very religious people will benefit by reading his books, for he raises questions that people need to answer. People should not sit back passively and watch life pass before them like a entertaining TV program. Every religious book and every philosophy book that is worth reading teaches that people have an obligation to be active, to develop themselves and improve society. Dennett's books inform people how the human body works, in this case, consciousness and unconsciousness. He addresses the question, how is it possible for material, the human body, to think?
Consciousness Explained Away
2010-04-28
Reviewer: Jonathan Nacionales
Dennett solves the problem of consciousness in very zen-like fashion -- He ignores it. Unlike most philosophers of mind he doesn't even seem to think that there is a problem at all; hence the name "Consciousness Explained".
This book doesn't really address the greater philosophical problems related to consciousness. For the most part, Dennett resorts to "explaining away consciousness" rather than "explaining consciousness".
I did enjoy the book, though. I just think he is wrong. While I do have some sympathy for functionalism, I simply don't think that it will work.
Dennett's writing style leaves much to be desired, though. His sentence structure is overly complex and unnecessary. The editor of this book really did not do their job in letting this get published in it's current form.
very interesting but kind of a bait-and-switch
2010-01-25
Reviewer: Aristo
Steven Pinker, in "How the Mind Works", criticizes certain unnamed theorists for announcing that they have solved the hard problems of consciousness, when they really have only solved the relatively simple ones. I don't know if Pinker had Dennett in mind, but to me that definitely applies here.
Dennett is convincing when it comes to the relatively simple questions (e.g., how to get around Cartesian dualism), but when it comes to the hard questions, he proposes what I think are non-answers (for reasons that would take me much too long to explain here). He also seems to latch onto provocative ideas without adequately showing that they are supported by logic or evidence - the theories of Julian Jaynes, for instance.
Nonetheless, the ideas are indeed provocative, and Dennett is an entertaining writer for a philosopher. His views are far from universally shared, so be sure to read this alongside other works - John Searle is one strident critic - and judge for yourself whether Dennett has succeeded or not.
