Daniel Dennett (Contemporary Philosophy in Focus) [Paperback]

Andrew Brook (Editor), Don Ross (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521008646 | ISBN-13: 978-0521008648 | Publication Date: January 21, 2002

Author of such groundbreaking and influential books as Consciousness Explained and Darwin's Dangerous Idea, Daniel C. Dennett has reached a huge general and professional audience that extends far beyond the confines of academic philosophy. Dennett has made significant contributions to the study of consciousness, the development of the child's mind, cognitive ethnology, explanation in the social sciences, artificial intelligence, and evolutionary theory. This volume is the only truly introductory collection that traces these connections, explores the implications of Dennett's work, and furnishes the non-specialist with a fully-rounded account of why Dennett is such an important voice on the philosophical scene. Andrew Brook is Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies and Chair of the Cognitive Science Ph.D. at Carlton University. He co-authored Knowledge and Mind with Robert Stainton (MIT Press, 2000) and authored Kant and the Mind (Cambridge, 1994). He has co-edited three books including Dennett's Philosophy: A Comprehensive Assessment with Don Ross and David Thompson (MIT Press, 2000). Don Ross is Professor of Economics and Convenor of the Programme in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Cape Town. He is the author of numerous articles on the philosophy of cognitive science and the foundations of micoreconomics and game theory, and is co-editor of Dennett's Philosophy: A Comprehensive Assessment with Andrew Brook and David Thompson (MIT Press, 2000). He has presented lectures widely in his native Canada and in the United States, Europe, Africa and Australia.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Daniel Dennett is a close look at one of the most significant living American philosophers. The book is part of Cambridge University Press's Contemporary Philosophy in Focus series, which highlights today's major philosophers. Indeed, Dennett's writings have had enormous consequences for our understanding of artificial intelligence, game theory, neuroscience, and developmental psychology, among other matters.

The book does not require an intimate knowledge of Dennett's work nor a specialist's interest in the philosophy of mind. Instead, editors Andrew Brook and Don Ross have assembled a disparate group of contributors to elucidate "the influence Dennett has had beyond the bounds of academic philosophy." Readers will find an insightful overview of Dennett's philosophy, as well as expert explanations of his significance in a variety of fields. The book is in some respects a tribute to Dennett--the introduction is a fond perspective on a great mind--but the essays themselves engage Dennett's thought with respectful criticism even while they demonstrate his importance. --Eric de Place

Review

"...one of the most succinct and engaging overviews of Dennett's stance currently available. Indeed, for anyone looking for a helpful companion to his or her initial engagement with Dennett's own writings, I know of no better place to start." Metapsychology Online Book Reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 21, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521008646
• ISBN-13: 978-0521008648
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,884,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intellectual rosetta stone for some fundamental ideas, October 15, 2002

By 

Todd I. Stark "Cellular Wetware plus Books" (Philadelphia, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Daniel Dennett (Contemporary Philosophy in Focus) (Paperback)

This is a book whose value goes way beyond its subject matter. This book is so valuable because Dennett's participation in fundmental issues of cognitive science, evolutionary theory, and philosophy of mind have drawn comments from so many other leading intellectual figures. By looking at what different authors think of Dennett's various distinct ideas in basic issues of philosophy of mind and evolution, it is possible to learn more about their own, and that seems to be part of what the editors intended to do. That makes this examination of Dennett's ideas, and especially their influence outside of his field, a kind of rosetta stone for understanding many current issues in philosophy and biology.

For example, there is a chapter on the evolutionary psychologists' critique of social sciences, showing how it builds on Dennett's evolutionary cognitivism but strays from it at some points. The contrast helps point out the strengths and weaknesses of both the evolutionary psychologists' and Dennett's views, as well as helping clarify what might remain of the foundations of social sciences once the smoke clears. Similarly illuminating is the chapter on Dennett's participation in debates with Stephen Jay Gould over the search for adaptations in studying human evolution.

Dennett's ideas are presented very clearly in a way that non-specialists can appreciate, and the choice of authors who are experts in other fields (rather than solely philosophers) works well in most cases, showing that ideas do matter, and that good philosophers sometimes do have an identifiable and positive impact on other areas of culture.