In Conversation: W.V. Quine - Dennett Interview: Section 2 of 9

Willard Van Orman Quine, Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, has been described as the "greatest living English-speaking philosopher". In this series, he takes part in an in-depth personal interview, and a penetrating analysis of his life's work in six panel discussions with some of today's leading philosophers. In discussions with some of today's leading philosophers. In discussions on his most important theses, Quine defends his views against the major criticisms—past and recent—to bring his position right up-to-date.

The Dennett Panel

Daniel C . Dennett is Distinguished Arts and Science Professor and Director of the Centre for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. Although his areas of specialization are cognitive sciences, philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology, he has published on most philosophy topics. Professor Dennett has also brought his work to a wider audience, most notably with The Mind's Eye, co-authored with Douglas Hofstadter, and his bestselling Consciousness Explained.

The main objective in this program is to provide an overview of Professor Quine's major philosophical doctrines, and to invite him to comment on how he views thee doctrines now. The areas considered include his early association with logical positivism, his notorious skepticism about meaning, his stance on epistemology and ontology, and his characterization of philosophy as part of, or continuous with science.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Philosophy
• Two
• Dogmas
• Empiricism
• Logic
• Positivism
• Science
• W.V.O
• Quine

[marsCubed]

@coreolis7

Quine is brilliant IMO.

In Physics, A Theory Of Everything might mean we could express any term in terms of all the others.

Hair like golden field of wheat. elegant poems. chalk dot stars & bull eye. useful reminders. Art; 'external' brain cell.

Perhaps one day we will make 'imaginary' particle nanobots, a new landscape.

being precious about stuff misses the point.

connecting things together, finding their Feynman diagram, even in evolved social context; knowledge, nudges of light.

[marsCubed]

@coreolis7 " What in his language is so confining, predetermining his conclusions?"

Well, it was mildly a kind of joke, but I have been thinking a lot about cave Art and signs.

Collecting objects together both serves as a sign and way to read signs.

Ie, seeing bull and 7 dots is a sensory experience. know before words.

For meaning it relates to social well-being, poetry, elegant utility. Truth-likeness -> signposts helping each other & life on the planet. perhaps the beauty & depth of Art too.

[coreolis7]

@marsCubed I like your comment. What in his language is so confining, predetermining his conclusions?

[rickmcn1986]

@youseeSCkid I'm more than happy to talk you through them, but I don't think there is enough room on yahoo comments page.

[youseeSCkid]

@rickmcn1986 though of course you don't mention what these real questions are.

[rickmcn1986]

I consider Daniel Dennett to be basically a charlatan. I consider Quine to be pretty much the same. When you get to the real questions about the flaws of empiricism and direct realism they just basically bludgeon you into silence with meaningless circular verbiage. Charlatans. (Although TY Flame for uploading, appriciated!)

[meanlittledog]

meaning is probably the hardest word to define without referring back to itself.

[marsCubed]

Quine again seems unable to progress, ironically crippled by forcing a framework of word relations that nobody should expect work.

It seems strange to me; nobody is making connections between Art and meaning. The original capitals & sign posts of culture. words as sensory object relations.

Hubble space telescope images of the Pleiades look like cave Art of 30k yrs BP.

Neanderthals had symmetrical Art.

Human Art contemplates difference.. and similarity - it's how Poetry/ elegance, gives meaning.

[GnomesAmok]

WOAH! Intellectual overload