Daniel Dennett on Philosophy, Cognitive Science and Consciousness

Philosopher and scientist Dan Dennett argues that human consciousness and free will are the result of physical processes and are not what we traditionally think they are. His 2003 book Freedom Evolves explores the way our brains have evolved to give us -- and only us -- the kind of freedom that matters.

Below is the abstract and link to a paper Dennett wrote about the relationship between philosophy and cognitive science. The conclusions he comes to may not be as easy to dismiss as you may think. Check it out:

The Part of Cognitive Science That Is Philosophy

By Daniel C. Dennett

There is much good work for philosophers to do in cognitive science if they adopt the constructive attitude that prevails in science, work toward testable hypotheses, and take on the task of clarifying the relationship between the scientific concepts and the everyday concepts with which we conduct our moral lives.

Read More @ Tufts University

In the 22min video below Dennett picks up on the theme of philosophy relating to cognitive science, and makes a compelling argument that not only don't we understand our own consciousness, but that half the time our brains are actively fooling us: