Consciousness Explained

Consciousness Explained
source
Name	Consciousness Explained
Author	Daniel Dennett
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Philosophy of mind, Cognitive science
Publisher	Little, Brown and Company
Pub date	1991
Media type	Print
Pages	511
Isbn	0-316-18065-3
Oclc	23648691
Dewey	126
Congress	B105.C477 D45 1991

Consciousness Explained is a 1991 book by the philosopher Daniel Dennett. It presents a comprehensive materialist theory of consciousness, arguing against the notion of a central Cartesian theater where conscious experience occurs. The work synthesizes ideas from philosophy of mind, cognitive science, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence to propose that consciousness is the result of parallel computational processes in the brain.

Overview of the book

The book is structured as a sustained argument against what Dennett calls the Cartesian materialism inherent in much thinking about the mind. He critiques the intuitive model of a unified self witnessing a coherent stream of experiences. Instead, Dennett advocates for a model grounded in empirical research from fields like psychology and neurobiology. The narrative weaves through thought experiments, analyses of perceptual illusions like phi phenomenon and Charles Bonnet syndrome, and interpretations of findings from pioneers such as Benjamin Libet. Dennett's goal is to replace the mystical with the mechanical, explaining consciousness as a biological phenomenon.

Philosophical and scientific context

Dennett wrote the book during a period of intense interdisciplinary focus on the mind-body problem, following the rise of cognitive science in the latter half of the 20th century. His views are situated within the tradition of analytic philosophy and are heavily influenced by thinkers like Willard Van Orman Quine, Gilbert Ryle, and Richard Dawkins. Scientifically, he engages with the work of Francis Crick, Gerald Edelman, and Marvin Minsky, while positioning his theory against competing frameworks like David Chalmers's hard problem of consciousness and John Searle's Chinese room argument. The book also responds to earlier philosophical works such as Thomas Nagel's "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?".

Key arguments and the multiple drafts model

The central theoretical innovation is the multiple drafts model of consciousness. Dennett proposes that the brain processes information through numerous, parallel computational streams, continuously editing and revising content. There is no single, final draft of experience, only various "narrative fragments" competing for influence. This model challenges the concept of qualia as ineffable, private mental properties. Dennett employs the intuition pump of heterophenomenology, a method treating subjective reports as texts to be interpreted alongside objective data from positron emission tomography or studies of blindsight. He also uses the analogy of fame in the brain to describe how certain mental contents become dominant, akin to a political process in a society of mind.

Critical reception and legacy

Upon publication, the book was met with both acclaim and significant controversy. It won the 1992 Richard J. Bernstein Award and was praised by figures like Douglas Hofstadter for its bold synthesis. However, many philosophers and scientists argued it failed to "explain" consciousness in a satisfactory way, with critics like John Searle and Colin McGinn offering pointed rebuttals. The title itself became a subject of ridicule in some circles, leading to retorts such as "Consciousness Explained Away" or "Consciousness Ignored". Despite this, it cemented Dennett's reputation as a leading proponent of naturalism and became a pivotal, if divisive, text in the so-called "consciousness wars" of the 1990s.

Influence on subsequent work

The book has had a profound impact on subsequent research in philosophy, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. It directly influenced the development of embodied cognition theories and contributed to the growth of the Churchland's eliminative materialism. In neuroscience, its ideas resonate with global workspace theory proposed by Bernard Baars and the predictive processing frameworks of Karl Friston. The book's arguments continue to be engaged with in major debates, including those surrounding artificial consciousness, the neural correlates of consciousness sought by projects like the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and the ethics of mind uploading. Its legacy is evident in the ongoing work at institutions like the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University.

Category:1991 non-fiction books Category:Philosophy of mind literature Category:Books about consciousness Category:Works by Daniel Dennett