Robert Wright interviews Daniel Dennett (3 of 8)

Very interesting debate about God, evolution, free will, consciousness and death.
Daniel Clement Dennett is a prominent American philosopher whose research centers on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. Dennett is also a noted atheist and advocate of the Brights movement.
Robert Wright is an American journalist, scholar, and prize-winning author of best-selling books about science, evolutionary psychology, history, religion, and game theory, including Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny, The Moral Animal, and Three Scientists and Their Gods: Looking for Meaning in an Age of Information. He is a visiting scholar at The University of Pennsylvania and Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• God
• evolution
• free will
• consciousness
• death
• Dan
• Dennett

[shallbeagain]

Dennett stands over hundreds of great philosophers on this brilliant taking apart of "the future" and inevitability.

[mosostow]

If you believe you know something that transcends intellect, then it's very likely you are delusional.

And if you really do have this type of knowledge (which I doubt), it's very likely it's ultimately irrelevant and impossible to articulate since the very process of communication requires the intellect.

Either way, you can see why nobody would really be interested in interviewing you.

[huwrj]

Dennet: "I can see where you are going. By wedding two bits of magic together you are going to say it's not magic." I LOVE IT. Perfect.

[frilansspion]

@CambridgeHeights what, as in you determine your future by just simply deciding what youre gonna do? hehe. Im sorry Im not sure if youre trying to make a comical point or if youre still talking about a perfectly accurate prediction of the future. sorry if Im just a bit daft - could you elaborate?

[CambridgeHeights]

@frilansspion everything in the universe? That would be tough. But to determine everything you will do would be a piece of cake...theoretically.

[frilansspion]

@CambridgeHeights quantum mechanics aside, would you agree that any particle-exact "simulation/calculation" of a system (such as our universe) couldnt be done except by an equally or more complex system - i e at least an identical universe set off at the exact same state - and only then in realtime? I dont know if Id call that theoretically possible. =) or what was your theory?

[frilansspion]

@cda1117 (sorry know this is very old) yes he does, philosophically? his point is that we will end up with _one_ future regardless of the universe being deterministic or not. since we cant predict it anyways and not even the universe itself can know where its going of course _until_ its happened, there is nothing there to "change" yet? so in reality the outcome is "the same." its obvious in a way but it sinks in I think. (and no he doesnt argue about the laws of physics here)

[simpuwjack]

what is it about wright's odd way of talking? he oozes patronism/snobbishness etc. he tends to cut off the other with 'right, right'/'ok('falling intonation indicating disinterest/non belief) too much. I'm happy he's 'interviewing' some of my favourites, but i wish it'd been someone more listenable...

[SwiftyMcVeigh100]

I am A Christian so obviously I think Dennett is wrong about important issues but hes clearly a very sophisticated, smart guy and I respect that.

[CambridgeHeights]

In theory it is possible to determine everything that is going to happen, even far into the future. The universe is like a billiards table that has already been set in motion and is following the natural laws. The actions that you will take tomorrow, for example eating oat meal or not eating oat meal, have already been determined and could be predicted in theory (though not in practice yet).

[Neanderthalcouzin]

@SilveradoNL Robert Wright is a sociobiologist, he knows about natural selection.

[ManyInfiniteComments]

Dennett makes great points on determinism. Even if this universe was predetermined (set in infinite nonradom wave of expansion/shrinkage...etc...). We have no way of knowing what the far future lays ahead except our immediate dangers/problems. Intelligent life as it has currently progress is better equipped to deal with increasing unknowns (unknowns is not the same as the Future), and our language does a poor job distinguishing between the two.