When1: 1969
When2: 2003
Who: Daniel C. Dennett [Dennett, Daniel C.]
What: philosopher
Where: USA
works\ Content and Consciousness [1969]; Brainstorms [1981]; Intentional Stance [1987]; Consciousness Explained [1991]; Darwin's Dangerous Idea [1995]; Kinds of Minds [1996]; Brainchildren [1998]; Freedom Evolves [2003]
Detail: He lived 1942 to ?.
Epistemology
People can explain system if they assume that system is rational and has beliefs and goals {intentional stance}. They can look at physical, chemical, and biological processes {physical stance}. They can look at system structure, design, or algorithm {design stance}. Factual statements can substitute equivalent phrases for each other. Intentional statements are not true under substitution, because belief, knowledge, expectation, want, recognition, understanding, imagining are about specific ideas, not semantic meanings.
Brains {Darwin Machine} can recognize patterns, activate available behavior patterns, and select patterns through competition. Patterns are in neuron populations and can change.
Patterns that require extensive processing receive attention and so become conscious. Experiences report brain-activity results or output. In given situations, researchers can ask people to report their experiences, observe their behavior, or analyze their brains. Researcher can build story about their experiences {heterophenomenology, Dennett}.
Mind
Brain is network with many pathways that make many reactions to input {Multiple Drafts}, one of which is for consciousness. Human brains create histories, which revolve around same brain {center of narrative gravity}. Brains and memes have co-evolved, so brain parallel architecture {Joycean machine} simulates serial processing used by memes. This simulation is self.
Dreams are saved-narratives rerun during sleep {cassette theory}.
People naturally feel that they can imagine philosophical zombies {zombic hunch}, because they think experiences are separate from matter.
Social Sciences>Philosophy>History>Mind
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Date Modified: 2022.0224