Customer Reviews

Brainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology

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Daniel Dennett's first major work, Brainstorms, is collection of essays relating loosely in subject matter, that is to say, artificial intelligence, consciousness, philosophy of the mind and biology, and philosophy of action; and totally independent in written structure. The essays are each written as a stand alone work. His infamous "On giving libertarians what they say they want," the very essay that began the near half decade debate between the author and libertarian Robert Kane, first appeared in this collection. The work is fantastic, in that it achieves precisely what it attempts to; it inspires, by agreement or otherwise, a new intensity and illuminates new horizons in any reader interested or involved in the study of the subject matter. Highly recommended for intermediate students of Philosophy of Mind; the else should consider reading something more accessible.

I am yet to read this book but have heard about it a lot. Looking forward to reading it first-hand this semester. The book arrived in 2 days, very promptly and in excellent condition. I have deducted half a star because the book had highlights in a few pages and the seller had not mentioned this... Otherwise an excellent copy...

I must give credit to Dennett for trying very hard to make his ideas clear, because he does a better job than most philosophers, but the book is still a bit boring.

The ideas Dennett raises are (inevitably) very interesting, as we are talking about the brain, so there is lot of material here to keep you thinking. A lot of the arguments he makes don't exactly make sense (i.e. comparisons that don't apply), but his is a voice worth considering.