Synopses & Reviews
The influential philosopher Daniel Dennett is best known for his distinctive theory of mental content, his elucidation of how the complex components of mental processing seem to come together in the relatively coherent narratives that we tell ourselves about ourselves and in his vivid accounts of how to think about minds in their evolutionary setting. The essays in this collection step back to ask: Do the complex components of Dennett's work on intentionality, consciousness, evolution, and ethics themselves come together into a coherent philosophical system?
The essays, which grew out of a conference attended by Dennett, consider evolution, intentionality, consciousness, ontology, and ethics and free will. Unusually, for a collection of this kind, the authors were able to take account of Dennett's comments on their views. In the concluding essay, "With a Little Help from My Friends," Dennett offers his own thoughts on the comprehensiveness of his philosophy.
ContributorsAndrew Brook, Timothy Crowe, Daniel C. Dennett, Paul Dumouchel, Timothy Kenyon, Dan Lloyd, Ruth Garrett Millikan, T. Brian Mooney, Thomas Polger, David Rosenthal, Don Ross, William Seager, David Thompson, Christopher Viger.
Synopsis
These essays, which grew out of a conference attended by Dennett, consider evolution, intentionality, consciousness, ontology, and ethics and free will.
Synopsis
Andrew Brook, Timothy Crowe, Daniel C. Dennett, Paul Dumouchel, Timothy Kenyon, Dan Lloyd, Ruth Garrett Millikan, T. Brian Mooney, Thomas Polger, David Rosenthal, Don Ross, William Seager, David Thompson, Christopher Viger.
Synopsis
The influential philosopher Daniel Dennett is best known for his distinctive theory of mental content, his elucidation of how the complex components of mental processing seem to come together in the relatively coherent narratives that we tell ourselves about ourselves and in his vivid accounts of how to think about minds in their evolutionary setting. The essays in this collection step back to ask: Do the complex components of Dennett's work on intentionality, consciousness, evolution, and ethics themselves come together into a coherent philosophical system?
About the Author
Richard A. Falkenrath is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at Harvard'sKennedy School of Government. He served as Executive Director of the BelferCenter for Science and International Affairs (BCSIA) and, before that, as aResearch Fellow. He is the author and co-author of Shaping Europe'sMilitary Order (1995), Avoiding Nuclear Anarchy (1996), America's Achilles'Heel:Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Terrorism and Covert Attack (1998), andnumerous journal articles and chapters of edited volumes. Falkenrath hasbeen a Visiting Research Fellow at the German Society of Foreign Affairs(DGAP) in Bonn. He holds a PhD from the Department of War Studies, King'sCollege, London, where he was a British Marshall Scholar, and is a summacum laude graduate of Occidental College, Los Angeles, with degrees ineconomics and international relations. He is currently serving as Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Policy and Plans, Office of Homeland Security.