ciphergoth comments on Open Thread: May 2009 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: steven0461 01 May 2009 04:16PM

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Comment author: ciphergoth 02 May 2009 05:03:57PM 0 points [-]

I wasn't that taken with this book, and I'm usually a big Dennett fan. What did you like about it?

Comment author: mattnewport 02 May 2009 09:08:07PM 0 points [-]

It helped clarify some thoughts I'd already had about free will - that the standard paradox of free will as incompatible with determinism was not a true paradox. I think the concept of free will used by many people is horribly confused and this book is the best attempt I've seen to come up with a coherent conception of what free will can mean in a purely material universe.

Comment author: timtyler 02 May 2009 08:33:35PM 0 points [-]

Same and same. Recently, Dennett has been good on memes, but elsewhere he does tend to waffle a bit. In Freedom Evolves, Dennet redefines the terms he is discussing, berates everyone else for not using his definitions, and then bangs on about them for hundreds of pages. That's philosophy for you.