= 27d567bc2d48d9f40e9ccc20ea370b15)
RobinZ comments on In defense of the outside view - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
= 783df68a0f980790206b9ea87794c5b6)
Loading…= b715d02e85f7b3b4ae65ca3d3e450868)
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Powered by Reddit
= f037147d6e6c911a85753b9abdedda8d)
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (26)
Yes, completely agreed about Romney. If someone shows how Dennett stands out from the crowd of philosophers who claim to understand consciousness (which includes Hofstadter and Penrose), or how the Singularity stands out from the crowd of failed tech predictions, this will convince me. But evidence of the "just believe me I'm special" variety won't, unless it's as impeccable as 2*2=4.
Dennett's discussion of consciousness proceeds from a strongly empirical standpoint, with an emphasis on using current scientific knowledge as well as inventing further experiments. This gives his conclusions a reasonable backing in observation, unlike most philosophers in general, not just in consciousness.
He is further known in the field of action and responsibility, particularly with his book Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting, so it's not like he burst into the field from nowhere.