Philosophical Papers 50 (1-2):281-308 (2021)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
Daniel Dennett’s Consciousness Explained is probably the most widely read book about consciousness ever written by a philosopher. Despite this, the book has had a surprisingly small influence on how most philosophers of mind view consciousness. This might be because many philosophers badly misunderstand the book. They claim it does not even attempt to explain consciousness, but instead denies its very existence. Outside of philosophy the book has had more influence, but is saddled by the same misunderstanding. Now, 30 years after publication, Consciousness Explained deserves reconsideration from anyone interested in consciousness. Here I make a case for this. To start, I will clear up the central misunderstanding of the book. With that done, I will explain and update Dennett’s tantalizing approach to consciousness and the mind. The result brings us very, very close to explaining consciousness. Or so I will argue.
|
Keywords | Consciousness Dennett Global Workspace Philosophy of Mind Illusionism |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
DOI | 10.1080/05568641.2021.1905541 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
Whatever Next? Predictive Brains, Situated Agents, and the Future of Cognitive Science.Andy Clark - 2013 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 36 (3):181-204.
Consciousness Explained.Daniel C. Dennett - 1993 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 53 (4):905-910.
Towards a Cognitive Neuroscience of Consciousness: Basic Evidence and a Workspace Framework.Stanislas Dehaene & Lionel Naccache - 2001 - Cognition 79 (1):1-37.
Illusionism as a Theory of Consciousness.Keith Frankish - 2016 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 23 (11-12):11-39.
Time and the Observer: The Where and When of Consciousness in the Brain.Daniel C. Dennett & Marcel Kinsbourne - 1992 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 15 (2):183-201.
View all 18 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
Does illusionism imply skepticism of animal consciousness?Leonard Dung - 2022 - Synthese 200 (3):1-19.
Similar books and articles
A Role for the Anterior Insular Cortex in the Global Neuronal Workspace Model of Consciousness.Matthias Michel - 2017 - Consciousness and Cognition 49:333-346.
Daniel Dennett on the Nature of Consciousness.Susan Schneider - 2007 - In Max Velmans & Susan Schneider (eds.), The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness. Blackwell. pp. 313--24.
Précis of Consciousness Explained. [REVIEW]Daniel C. Dennett - 1993 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 53 (4):889-931.
Paradox and Cross Purposes in Recent Work on Consciousness.N. Block - 2001 - Cognition 79 (1-2):197--219.
Global Workspace or Pandemonium?W. Teed Rockwell - 1997 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 4 (4):334-337.
Is Global Workspace a Cartesian Theater? How the Neuro-Astroglial Interaction Model Solves Conceptual Issues.Samuel Bellini-Leite & Alfredo Pereira - 2013 - Journal of Cognitive Science 14 (4):335-360.
Commentary on Bernard Baars'In the Theatre of Consciousness'.J. G. Taylor - 1997 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 4 (4):337-339.
Consciousness as an Adaptation. What Animals Feel and Why.Pouwel Slurink - 2016 - In Andreas Blank (ed.), Animals. New Essays. Munich: Philosophia Verlag. pp. 303-332.
Consciousness Explained?: A Commentary on Dennett's Consciousness Explained.Sam S. Rakover - 1994 - International Studies in Philosophy 26 (2):97-99.
Can You Believe It? Illusionism and the Illusion Meta-Problem.François Kammerer - 2018 - Philosophical Psychology 31 (1):44-67.
A Global Workspace Model for Phenomenal and Access Consciousness.Antonino Raffone & Martina Pantani - 2010 - Consciousness and Cognition 19 (2):580-596.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2021-09-01
Total views
163 ( #72,854 of 2,518,481 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
58 ( #13,870 of 2,518,481 )
2021-09-01
Total views
163 ( #72,854 of 2,518,481 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
58 ( #13,870 of 2,518,481 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads