Daniel Dennett Quotes
Daniel Clement Dennett was an American philosopher of mind, philosopher of biology, and longtime professor at Tufts University. A pupil of Gilbert Ryle, he developed an influential functionalist account of mental phenomena, defended a compatibilist conception of free will, and became a leading philosophical interpreter of evolutionary biology and cognitive science. The quotes below are attributed to Daniel Dennett, organized by topic.
Daniel Dennett on Freedom
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Attributed to Daniel Dennett:
“Free will is real, but it is not what tradition says it is.”
Daniel Dennett on Knowledge
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Attributed to Daniel Dennett:
“There is no such thing as philosophy-free science; only science whose philosophical baggage is taken on board without examination.”
Daniel Dennett on Mind
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Attributed to Daniel Dennett:
“Consciousness is, on closer inspection, a bag of tricks performed by the brain.”
Daniel Dennett on Nature
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Attributed to Daniel Dennett:
“Darwin's idea is a universal acid that eats through every traditional concept it touches.”
Daniel Dennett on Truth
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Attributed to Daniel Dennett:
“If you have a good argument, you do not need to misrepresent your opponent's view.”