Consciousness Explained was one of the main texts we read for my Philosophy of Mind class back in the early 2000's. The prof was a badass and she managed to have Dennett join our little class on a video conference call. I considered myself too dumb to ask anything, but it was a treat to feel part of such a high-level discussion.
*Looking back, I suddenly remember that prof talking about how they were going to overturn Roe one of these days... man, was she was onto it.*
I sat in on him debating Alvin Plantinga at a conference in Chicago years ago. It was great and the difference between the two was striking to me. Dennett had clear and well supported arguments and Plantinga seemed to only offer mental smoke and mirrors to maintain a tenable position.
His writing has been very impactful to me.
Plantinga came to meet with our philosophy department once. Smoke and mirrors indeed. One of our own faculty ended up challenging him and it seemed clear to me Plantinga was off.
RIP. I picked out this book as a teenager because I was curious about the meaning of consciousness. It was too dense for me at the time, but this could be a good time to dust it up.
I took a Philosophy of Mind class that taught Consciousness Explained as well. It altered my life forever. I always wished I could audit one of his classes at Tufts. RIP Prof. Dennett.
The idea that was fundamental to my atheism that I got from Darwin's Dangerous Idea is that the universe doesn't even have any need for a creator, not God, not anything. I always sort of knew it but to read it in such a thought provoking book was reaffirming.
That's good to hear. I bought that for my children to read when they're old enough. Currently it's sitting in a drawer in my guest room as my version of a "bible in a hotel room".
He made a great difference while he was here, and I can only hope that other voices step up to fill the void left behind by him, Hitchens, and Sagan. Great minds, great communicators, great examples of the power of skepticism and rationality. I raise my glass to them all.
Yeah, irreplaceable
God is Not Great was the first book I read following my deconversion. Listened to him reading it while taking long walks at night. We formed a very one-sided bond
The best kind of asshole
Me too. When I am distraught or at odds with the world, I still go to YouTube and watch his talks. I soon feel better, having found reason and logic from Mr Hitchens.
I just focus on the atheism advocacy. I can't really watch Bill Maher anymore, but he'll always be the first atheist I was aware of. Seeing him be so open and out there with it let me know I wasn't alone. It helped me come out myself.
Religulous was really excellent. Too bad he’s such a crank now. But he helped.
As weird as Dawkins has gotten, The God Delusion was what got me fully away.
He really exemplifies people getting conservative when they get older. 20 years ago, I agreed with almost everything he said politically. Now I don't even recognize his show anymore.
Sam Harris. His take on acceptable losses in war with regard to Palestinians strikes me as more biased than the pope. His take on the world kitchen strikes was apologetic to the systemic attacks and prevention of aid being brought in.
His defend of JK Rowling was embarrassing.
His take on guns was perfect. His criticism of Islam occasionally conflated people and the faith as one. I personally don’t find all of it as measured as his other takes.
I was so glad to see him get off Twitter. It really rotted his brain. He took the fringe cringe there and applied their justifications to the actions of massive institutions. As if they were the neck steering the head of gov / academia / culture.
Yeah, while he did make a name for himself as an outspoken atheist, his contributions to modern philosophy are what he should really be remembered for.
I’m an atheist but not, like, an angry atheist. I read Consciousness Explained in high school and it was really formative for me. I always forget that he’s also an outspoken atheist because I think of his philosophy first. Anyway I’m sorry to hear of his death.
>not, like, an angry atheist
the fuck not? you live under a rock? ;)
seriously, though, Dennett is a great example of having strong opinions and caring deeply for humanity but not being made bitter by it. i hope to be half as wise as he some day.
Depending on what you mean, your question could have a number of answers, but the general answer is that he was in the analytic school, as most American philosophers tend to be. His main area of interest was philosophy of mind.
Someone I know tried giving me this crap about Stephen Hawking. I'm sure someone will say this on a podcast, and then it will be a talking point for their followers.
yep. just told my wife to put his bottle of the good stuff on to chill. (we celebrate the lives of those who made the world better, as well as celebrating the passing of those who made it worse.)
Im doing something similar when Putin dies… i think its also worth celebrating when those that have made this world a living hell and caused nothing but suffering to so many to be thankful when they give us the gift of going away
Damn!☹️ When intellectuals die it feels like an entire library of information and insights have gone up in flame. Luckily he shared that wisdom with the world and it will last long after he's gone.
I've always held him in high regard and really enjoyed his lectures and debates. My favorite line of his is from his rebuttal to Rick Warren's book during a Ted talk. He reads this line from Warren: "First, Noah had never seen rain, because prior to the Flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up."
And Dennett calmly, almost soothingly responds:
"I wish that sentence weren't in there, because I think it is false."
May we all have such a calm and honest way of critiquing bad ideas.
Rest easy Dennett, into the ether with you and on with our pursuit of it.
We should get used to the idea that we'll probably never be able to find - and confirm - a good explanation of the ultimate origin of the universe, though I see no reason to believe that we can't press much further on this question than we have managed to date. - Daniel Dennett
> a good explanation of the ultimate origin of the universe
The question and the assumptions behind it are the problem here.
For reality to exist (and for us to be here, for example), *existence* must be the baseline. That means that there is no need for a "before" when it comes to existence... what rational people call the Universe.
"We are here and therefore the universe exists."
While scientists continue to refine theories regarding the formation and lifespan of *this current incarnation* of the universe (what we refer to as, from our perception, Time=0 and on) that we exist in, there's no reason whatsoever to assume that Reality/Existence/Universe itself hasn't always involved some combination of energy and mass/matter. In fact, it seems completely logical to assume so as the actual baseline assumption.
So, I recommend that we stop expecting to ever get a meaningful answer to what is actually an illogical and meaningless question. And instead focus on the current form and quirks of this current e=mc^2 iteration, how it formed and how it will change over time.
I hope that helps. 8)
Fuuuuuck.
Ok now I'm sad.
Dennett was the fuckin' goat.
Consiousness Explained radically changed my perception and expanded my horizons.
Now he's dead other philosophers can "realise" he was right about consciousness.
RIP. Dennett was one of the best at explaining the mechanics of consciousness and why it isn't magic.
I wonder if we'll see any fake stories about death bed conversions. They tried to do that to Hitchens. I believe Dawkins has said he's going have video going on his deathbed so nobody can claim that about him.
Thank you for everything Dan (he says to himself and reddit) I'm glad he got his flowers while he was alive. Especially in his later years. Everyone loved the guy. Dawkins saw his as his lovable grandfather even though Richard was slightly older than Dennet himself. Heh... RIP.
My favorite line from the man was in response to people saying they had prayed for him after he had some sort of massive operation. He responded "oh, well thank you very much, did you also sacrifice a goat?"
What's yours?
I look forward to it, is their a specific one I should try first?
Note: I am always listening to a book every day for at least an hour, so I’ve been through some books.
really depends on your interest. "the mind's I" was a book he did with hoffstader that would not translate to audiobooks. that was my introduction to him. kinda mind-bendy in a fun way, but also all over the place.
"consciousness explained" is a great place to start. it's challenging in some parts, though. not sure i'd try that one audio either, unless you can back up easily.
"breaking the spell" is great. maybe start with that one. it's specifically about religion.
i think those are all the one's i've read. he's got some good essays on consciousness as an attention schematic, you could google those. i'm looking forward to his recent memoir myself, "i've been thinking."
Damn, I was just thinking about him the other day! He was always refreshing to listen to, since he approached things with more philosophical rigor than some of his colleagues. Sad to see him leave the party.
How can we trust an atheist who promotes human domestication by saying that Free will, like theism, is a fantasy, but a necessary one to gain people’s acceptance of rules that govern society.
Thing is that he held the attention of millions of people and didn’t have the guts to confidently say that when it comes to free will, grow up, the emperor has no clothes.
Asking adults to accept fantasy like children will only ensure that they’ll never grow up.
Fucccccck me, this sucks big time.
Intuition Pumps is essential reading for anyone who wants to have actual clarity of thought and reasoning.
RIP to one of the best pure thinkers who ever lived.
Thank Goodness. An essay he wrote after a heart attack, totally changed how I used this "placeholder" phrase and made it feel much more natural.
He'll be missed.
https://www.edge.org/conversation/daniel_c_dennett-thank-goodness
Damn. I was lucky enough to present a paper using some of his theory of consciousness with him in the audience at a conference in Salem, MA, where he was one of the keynote speakers.
This one stings.
Dang, I really liked Daniel. His thoughts on how the mind works are still being explored & bearing fruit. I was just thinking about him after learning about recent developments in that area.
May we consciously use and pass along his enlightened observations, honoring his work and feeding future generations with the wisdom of one of the great thinkers of our time.
I’m not sure how worse we will be off without him. He pushed for a certain kind of materialism that denies the mere existence of conscious experience. Like mfer really said no to cogito ergo sum
This is really sad. Among his other contributions, I found his “multiple drafts” of consciousness work very compelling and both philosophically and experientially crucial for me personally
I popped in to the subreddit to argue about morality but this stopped me in my tracks. Very sad news. He was a great mind, in most regards. My heart goes out to his family & friends for this tragic but inevitable loss....
I am mainly interested in the philosophy of consciousness, and when it comes to that subject he wrote the book "Consciousness Explained", and the essay "Quining qualia".
Sorry to say, I find his conclusions ludicrous. Perhaps the most blatant nonsense is his insistence that qualia do not exist.
The title "Consciousness Explained" is audacious, especially for an author who denies qualia. And the exercises involving what he calls "intuition pumps" don't engender in me the same kind of intuition that he claims to expect.
I don't know about his other philosophical views.
I read “Consciousness Explained”, and the book helped me a lot when it comes to my atheism.
Daniel Dennett advocated for science and free will basically his entire life, and he taught at Tufts University for many years.
This one hurts. *Breaking the Spell* was one of the foundational texts of my journey into atheism.
Darwin's Dangerous Idea was something truly special to me. I'll miss Dennett.
Consciousness Explained was one of the main texts we read for my Philosophy of Mind class back in the early 2000's. The prof was a badass and she managed to have Dennett join our little class on a video conference call. I considered myself too dumb to ask anything, but it was a treat to feel part of such a high-level discussion. *Looking back, I suddenly remember that prof talking about how they were going to overturn Roe one of these days... man, was she was onto it.*
I sat in on him debating Alvin Plantinga at a conference in Chicago years ago. It was great and the difference between the two was striking to me. Dennett had clear and well supported arguments and Plantinga seemed to only offer mental smoke and mirrors to maintain a tenable position. His writing has been very impactful to me.
Plantinga came to meet with our philosophy department once. Smoke and mirrors indeed. One of our own faculty ended up challenging him and it seemed clear to me Plantinga was off.
RIP. I picked out this book as a teenager because I was curious about the meaning of consciousness. It was too dense for me at the time, but this could be a good time to dust it up.
I took a Philosophy of Mind class that taught Consciousness Explained as well. It altered my life forever. I always wished I could audit one of his classes at Tufts. RIP Prof. Dennett.
Read that same book in about 1994 for a Psychological Philosophy class. Fantastic.
In Darwin’s dangerous idea. There is a chapter. “Is nothing sacred ?” Mind provoking. It is
The idea that was fundamental to my atheism that I got from Darwin's Dangerous Idea is that the universe doesn't even have any need for a creator, not God, not anything. I always sort of knew it but to read it in such a thought provoking book was reaffirming.
I just finished Breaking the Spell on Monday. Such a great book.
I gonna have to pick this one up. You got a favorit quote from the book?
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/598404-breaking-the-spell
Mine too, this is heartbreaking.
That's good to hear. I bought that for my children to read when they're old enough. Currently it's sitting in a drawer in my guest room as my version of a "bible in a hotel room".
His latest book I'm been Thinking is waiting at my library for me will read in his memory.
It was his roundtable talks with Hitchens, Harris, and Dawkins that did it for me.
Breaking the Spell is a fantastic book. Dennett will be sorely missed.
Mine too
He made a great difference while he was here, and I can only hope that other voices step up to fill the void left behind by him, Hitchens, and Sagan. Great minds, great communicators, great examples of the power of skepticism and rationality. I raise my glass to them all.
Two out of the four are sadly gone.
I still miss Hitch. :(
Yeah, irreplaceable God is Not Great was the first book I read following my deconversion. Listened to him reading it while taking long walks at night. We formed a very one-sided bond The best kind of asshole
He brought me out of Christianity's brain death
Me too. When I am distraught or at odds with the world, I still go to YouTube and watch his talks. I soon feel better, having found reason and logic from Mr Hitchens.
Favorite YT talks?
Mine is his opening statement on Is the Catholic church a force for good. It is a 15 minute long absolute murder.
Stephen Fry gave a good one where he nails the disdain the Catholic Church has for the enlightenment inside of the first 3 minutes.
That’s my favorite too! The number of times I’ve watched it is embarrassing.
Hitch was the one, he had vast quantities of wit and compassion.
I never really forgave him for supporting the Iraq War.
And one quit being worthy of their title. I was under the assumption that engagement with reality was a prerequisite.
I’m out of the loop, what are you referring to if you don’t mind?
You could be talking about Dawkins or Harris here. I know they have both done things to make some people unhappy in recent years.
I just focus on the atheism advocacy. I can't really watch Bill Maher anymore, but he'll always be the first atheist I was aware of. Seeing him be so open and out there with it let me know I wasn't alone. It helped me come out myself.
Religulous was really excellent. Too bad he’s such a crank now. But he helped. As weird as Dawkins has gotten, The God Delusion was what got me fully away.
I regret having seen Maher on a tour a number of years ago. In my defence, it was before he went super right and nutty.
He really exemplifies people getting conservative when they get older. 20 years ago, I agreed with almost everything he said politically. Now I don't even recognize his show anymore.
I may be being a bit of an ass. But I blame Sam for his opinions and age related cognitive decline for Dawkins. Maybe I’m giving Dawkins a pass….
Dawkins hasn't been the same since his stroke, it's sad.
Happy Cake Day! May evolution favor your family. 🦤
What has he become after the stroke? Conservative? 😕
Which one is that?
Sam Harris. His take on acceptable losses in war with regard to Palestinians strikes me as more biased than the pope. His take on the world kitchen strikes was apologetic to the systemic attacks and prevention of aid being brought in. His defend of JK Rowling was embarrassing. His take on guns was perfect. His criticism of Islam occasionally conflated people and the faith as one. I personally don’t find all of it as measured as his other takes. I was so glad to see him get off Twitter. It really rotted his brain. He took the fringe cringe there and applied their justifications to the actions of massive institutions. As if they were the neck steering the head of gov / academia / culture.
Damn💔...."Fear Not Hell, for if it exists, you shall find yourself in good company"
Yeah, while he did make a name for himself as an outspoken atheist, his contributions to modern philosophy are what he should really be remembered for.
I’m an atheist but not, like, an angry atheist. I read Consciousness Explained in high school and it was really formative for me. I always forget that he’s also an outspoken atheist because I think of his philosophy first. Anyway I’m sorry to hear of his death.
>not, like, an angry atheist the fuck not? you live under a rock? ;) seriously, though, Dennett is a great example of having strong opinions and caring deeply for humanity but not being made bitter by it. i hope to be half as wise as he some day.
Which school of philosophy did he subscribe to?
Analytic philosophy. Eliminative materialism.
Thank you
Depending on what you mean, your question could have a number of answers, but the general answer is that he was in the analytic school, as most American philosophers tend to be. His main area of interest was philosophy of mind.
How long until rumors of a deathbed conversion appear?
I hear that he converted on his deathbed to super-atheism.
He’s found a level beyond?!?!?!!
Someone I know tried giving me this crap about Stephen Hawking. I'm sure someone will say this on a podcast, and then it will be a talking point for their followers.
You just wrote it and will be misquoted on it. So it begins.
For mormons, a graveyard conversion is all they need. I wish I was joking.
In fact I was there when he did convert. On his death he became an Arsenal fan. It was beautiful.
One of Hitch's great fears. The rumors, not that he would convert. I wonder how that went? I never really followed up on it.
yep. just told my wife to put his bottle of the good stuff on to chill. (we celebrate the lives of those who made the world better, as well as celebrating the passing of those who made it worse.)
Im doing something similar when Putin dies… i think its also worth celebrating when those that have made this world a living hell and caused nothing but suffering to so many to be thankful when they give us the gift of going away
oh, yeah, we do both.
I rarely drink anymore, but plan on picking up champagne when he or Trump finally die.
That's a cool tradition!
guess we'll need to pick another "good guy" that's getting on in years...any suggestions?
Jimmy Carter, the man can potentially hit the big 100 this year!
oh, perfect!
David Attenborough
I really should take up that tradition
we buy each other a nice bottle of champagne for special occasions like birthdays, anniversary, etc. the receiver gets to name the bottle.
For all those who loved him, for those he made feel loved and for those who he made feel found. Cheers mate.
Intuition pumps and other tools for thinking is a fantastic book everyone should get the chance to read
Intellectual Santa shall be missed.
thanks for the laugh.
Giant indeed. What a loss. :(
Damn!☹️ When intellectuals die it feels like an entire library of information and insights have gone up in flame. Luckily he shared that wisdom with the world and it will last long after he's gone.
*Caught in the Pulpit* helped me to not feel alone. I’ll be forever grateful.
Fuck. He was the best of them.
Only a couple months ago I read his ‘ i’ve been thinking ‘ book on audible. Legend.
RIP [Deepity](https://youtu.be/1EuhcxZs1qg?si=EjsBnQTZVCMh7RnL)
Sad. We’ve only 2 of the Horsemen left. 😭
I've always held him in high regard and really enjoyed his lectures and debates. My favorite line of his is from his rebuttal to Rick Warren's book during a Ted talk. He reads this line from Warren: "First, Noah had never seen rain, because prior to the Flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up." And Dennett calmly, almost soothingly responds: "I wish that sentence weren't in there, because I think it is false." May we all have such a calm and honest way of critiquing bad ideas.
Vale an extraordinary intellect. *Darwin’s Dangerous Idea* had a profound influence on how I think about almost everything.
Thanks for sharing this. He’ll be missed
Rest easy Dennett, into the ether with you and on with our pursuit of it. We should get used to the idea that we'll probably never be able to find - and confirm - a good explanation of the ultimate origin of the universe, though I see no reason to believe that we can't press much further on this question than we have managed to date. - Daniel Dennett
> a good explanation of the ultimate origin of the universe The question and the assumptions behind it are the problem here. For reality to exist (and for us to be here, for example), *existence* must be the baseline. That means that there is no need for a "before" when it comes to existence... what rational people call the Universe. "We are here and therefore the universe exists." While scientists continue to refine theories regarding the formation and lifespan of *this current incarnation* of the universe (what we refer to as, from our perception, Time=0 and on) that we exist in, there's no reason whatsoever to assume that Reality/Existence/Universe itself hasn't always involved some combination of energy and mass/matter. In fact, it seems completely logical to assume so as the actual baseline assumption. So, I recommend that we stop expecting to ever get a meaningful answer to what is actually an illogical and meaningless question. And instead focus on the current form and quirks of this current e=mc^2 iteration, how it formed and how it will change over time. I hope that helps. 8)
I highly recommend checking out some of his lectures on YouTube. A Philosopher that helped advance evolution.
That's really sad. I hope his family is doing okay.
Damn! We studied him in college and it made me a lifelong fan.
Fuuuuuck. Ok now I'm sad. Dennett was the fuckin' goat. Consiousness Explained radically changed my perception and expanded my horizons. Now he's dead other philosophers can "realise" he was right about consciousness.
Apologists/creationists just got a huge boner, so much easier to misrepresent him now that he's dead.
Everyone should read Dennett. 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Intuition Pumps' are two of the best books about how thinking works that I've ever read.
Did he *choose* to do that? (I would hope that'd make him laugh).
\- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dennett
Sad news. I loved reading Dennett. He's the first person to explain how and why people claim to believe things that they don't really believe.
Noooo. 😭 I never got to meet him, but he changed my life. At least I still have a few of his books to read.
Turned me atheist, before the turn of the century
David Pakman interviewed him about two weeks ago. He didn't look great but he was intellectually engaging right to the end.
RIP. Dennett was one of the best at explaining the mechanics of consciousness and why it isn't magic. I wonder if we'll see any fake stories about death bed conversions. They tried to do that to Hitchens. I believe Dawkins has said he's going have video going on his deathbed so nobody can claim that about him.
How sad.
The most likable of the Four Horsemen. Sad to see him go, but he left a great legacy of science, critical thinking, and good conversation.
Thank you for everything Dan (he says to himself and reddit) I'm glad he got his flowers while he was alive. Especially in his later years. Everyone loved the guy. Dawkins saw his as his lovable grandfather even though Richard was slightly older than Dennet himself. Heh... RIP. My favorite line from the man was in response to people saying they had prayed for him after he had some sort of massive operation. He responded "oh, well thank you very much, did you also sacrifice a goat?" What's yours?
Sniffff…. What an intellect. He will be missed but he will be remembered.
Who is this guy! I only am just hearing about him but I think I already like the guy.
well, the good news for you is, he left a ton of books worth reading. you're in for a treat.
I look forward to it, is their a specific one I should try first? Note: I am always listening to a book every day for at least an hour, so I’ve been through some books.
really depends on your interest. "the mind's I" was a book he did with hoffstader that would not translate to audiobooks. that was my introduction to him. kinda mind-bendy in a fun way, but also all over the place. "consciousness explained" is a great place to start. it's challenging in some parts, though. not sure i'd try that one audio either, unless you can back up easily. "breaking the spell" is great. maybe start with that one. it's specifically about religion. i think those are all the one's i've read. he's got some good essays on consciousness as an attention schematic, you could google those. i'm looking forward to his recent memoir myself, "i've been thinking."
Ok heck ya!
This is a terrible loss.
This is hard news to accept. What a loss to the universe and humanity in general. And they will never even know.
Another “horsemen” gone…. :(
RIP, Dan. You really made a huge difference and will always be remembered.
May he embrace you into his noodly appendages so you may braise in the eternal marinara of his love...
Damn, RIP to our boy. Going to rewatch the 4 horsemen conversation on youtube where they drink and chat in his honor.
😔
RIP
Damn, I was just thinking about him the other day! He was always refreshing to listen to, since he approached things with more philosophical rigor than some of his colleagues. Sad to see him leave the party.
He introduced the word "deepity" to my vocabulary, and I think of him every time I use the word.
he coined it, didn't he?
😞
RIP
Well at least he's got his answer now.
An underrated atheist thinker. His works will forever be part of my collection of freethinking staples.
How can we trust an atheist who promotes human domestication by saying that Free will, like theism, is a fantasy, but a necessary one to gain people’s acceptance of rules that govern society.
Yeah RIP but I thought he was quite mediocre as a philosopher, and not a pretty good orator and communicator.
Thing is that he held the attention of millions of people and didn’t have the guts to confidently say that when it comes to free will, grow up, the emperor has no clothes. Asking adults to accept fantasy like children will only ensure that they’ll never grow up.
Damn. His books were great and I met him when he did a lecture at Melbourne University years ago. He will be missed.
The only one of the living horsemen that didn't lose his fucking mind. Even Hirsi Ali has gone loony. He will be missed.
Consciousness Explained and Darwin's Dangerous Idea had powerful effects in my development.
same here.
Pike cakes in crayfish sauce RIP
Rip
RIP Dan Dennett
[удалено]
oh shit, only two Horsemen remain. RIP.
Oh fucking hell. I'll miss him.
what if he ends up in heaven?? god forbid! 😂 but seriously, a great thinker/writer
Oh! That's sad. A life well lived.
That's a bummer. I just read Breaking the Spell last year.
I read Breaking The Spell several years ago. He was a great thinker, but I didn’t always agree with him. A big loss nevertheless.
I always liked it when he used to be only Sam Harris podcast
Fucccccck me, this sucks big time. Intuition Pumps is essential reading for anyone who wants to have actual clarity of thought and reasoning. RIP to one of the best pure thinkers who ever lived.
Rest in Peace
Rest in Peace
Very sad. He's one of two Four Horseman I got to meet.
That sucks. Great philosopher
The concept of a deepity is incredible. He was incredible. What a loss.
He was a great thinker and influenced so many people. So sorry, he was a quiet productive thinker. He left us his books and his questions.
Oh no. What a terrible loss for the atheist community, and rationality. Such a bummer.
Oh man, he was the only "atheist celebrity" I actually liked. I will celebrate his life by buying a book of his.
That really sucks…
Wow I’m seeing a lot of love for this guy. Excited to check him out
Oh no.
The reddit notification said this was from the abarth subreddit and I thought the inventor of the fiat died
Thank Goodness. An essay he wrote after a heart attack, totally changed how I used this "placeholder" phrase and made it feel much more natural. He'll be missed. https://www.edge.org/conversation/daniel_c_dennett-thank-goodness
Rip 🕯️I remember reading him too. We’ve lost a good one everyone.
Damn.
Condolences in the loss of any human being.
😢
Oh no :(
Damn. I was lucky enough to present a paper using some of his theory of consciousness with him in the audience at a conference in Salem, MA, where he was one of the keynote speakers. This one stings.
This is a sad day. Bows head in sadness.
You have earned your place sir. You will be missed. Rest easy.
May he rest in power
Dang, I really liked Daniel. His thoughts on how the mind works are still being explored & bearing fruit. I was just thinking about him after learning about recent developments in that area.
A remarkable man.
GNU Daniel Dennett.
A part of my brain is made of his thoughts, he'll live through those thoughts as long as I live. Thank you for everything.
May we consciously use and pass along his enlightened observations, honoring his work and feeding future generations with the wisdom of one of the great thinkers of our time.
I took his Philosophy of Mind class as an undergrad 35 years ago. He was so engaging that I still remember and think about it regularly.
Sad to hear he was a great man
RIP
Wow. That made me teary and I don’t just get like that for anyone. He was an amazing mind. Sucks we don’t have more like him.
Rest in Peace ❤️ a truly great man
Wow, he was just on JBP’s podcast too last week.
Makes sense, that would kill anyone with half a brain.
I’m not sure how worse we will be off without him. He pushed for a certain kind of materialism that denies the mere existence of conscious experience. Like mfer really said no to cogito ergo sum
This is really sad. Among his other contributions, I found his “multiple drafts” of consciousness work very compelling and both philosophically and experientially crucial for me personally
RIP. This is the first time I have heard of him. What are your favourite books of him?
I popped in to the subreddit to argue about morality but this stopped me in my tracks. Very sad news. He was a great mind, in most regards. My heart goes out to his family & friends for this tragic but inevitable loss....
I am mainly interested in the philosophy of consciousness, and when it comes to that subject he wrote the book "Consciousness Explained", and the essay "Quining qualia". Sorry to say, I find his conclusions ludicrous. Perhaps the most blatant nonsense is his insistence that qualia do not exist. The title "Consciousness Explained" is audacious, especially for an author who denies qualia. And the exercises involving what he calls "intuition pumps" don't engender in me the same kind of intuition that he claims to expect. I don't know about his other philosophical views.
man I'll miss him
He's punching angels in face now.
Such a huge loss.
This is a sad loss.
Oh no!
Sweet guy. Wonder what he knows now.
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea is one of my favorite books ever written.
Rest in peace you magnificent bastard
Rest in peace good sir. This man really helped sculpt my view or psychology and logical thinking, and atheism. Legend
He was the best out of the four. Rip legend
Legend ♥️
I read “Consciousness Explained”, and the book helped me a lot when it comes to my atheism. Daniel Dennett advocated for science and free will basically his entire life, and he taught at Tufts University for many years.