Brainchildren (Penguin Press Science)

Politics & Social Sciences

Dennett, Daniel C.

Philosophy

Penguin Books, Ltd.

Dennett shows that human freedom is not an illusion; it is an objective phenomenon, distinct from all other biological conditions and found in only one species - us. There was a time on this planet when it didn't exist, quite recently in fact. It had to evolve like every other feature of the biosphere, and it continues to evolve today. Dennett shows that far from there being an incompatibility between contemporary science and the traditional vision of freedom and morality, it is only recently that science has advanced to the point where we can see how we came to have our unique kind of freedom.

Freedom Evolves

History

Penguin Books, Limited (UK)

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

In Breaking the Spell Daniel C. Dennett explores how the great ideas of religion have enthralled us for thousands of years - and whether we could (or should) break free. What is religion and how did it evolve? Is it the product of blind evolutionary instinct or of rational choice? Is the only way to live a good life through religion? Few forces in the world are as potent as religion: it comforts people in their suffering and inspires them to both magnificent and terrible deeds. In this provocative and timely book, Daniel C. Dennett seeks to uncover the origins of religion and discusses how and why different faiths have shaped so many lives, whether religion is an addiction or a genuine human need, and even whether it is good for our health. Arguing passionately for the need to understand this multifaceted phenomenon, Breaking the Spell offers a truly original - and comprehensive - explanation for faith. 'Packed with a mass of intriguing detail and anecdote ... witty and clear prose' Observer 'He's the "good cop" among religion's critics (Richard Dawkins is the "bad cop"), but he still makes people angry' New Statesman 'Dennett writes with brio and humour' Telegraph 'Elegant, sharp-minded ... clear-eyed but courteous' Economist Daniel Dennett is one of the most original and provocative thinkers in the world. A brilliant polemicist and philosopher, he is famous for challenging unexamined orthodoxies, and an outspoken supporter of the Brights movement. His books include Brainstorms, Brainchildren, Elbow Room, Consciousness Explained, Darwin's Dangerous Idea and Freedom Evolves.

Penguin??Books

Can there be freedom and free will in a deterministic world? Renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett emphatically answers “yes!” Using an array of provocative formulations, Dennett sets out to show how we alone among the animals have evolved minds that give us free will and morality. Weaving a richly detailed narrative, Dennett explains in a series of strikingly original arguments—drawing upon evolutionary biology, cognitive neuroscience, economics, and philosophy—that far from being an enemy of traditional explorations of freedom, morality, and meaning, the evolutionary perspective can be an indispensable ally. In Freedom Evolves, Dennett seeks to place ethics on the foundation it deserves: a realistic, naturalistic, potentially unified vision of our place in nature.

Penguin Publishing Group

The New York Times bestseller – a “crystal-clear, constantly engaging” (Jared Diamond) exploration of the role that religious belief plays in our lives and our interactions For all the thousands of books that have been written about religion, few until this one have attempted to examine it scientifically: to ask why—and how—it has shaped so many lives so strongly. Is religion a product of blind evolutionary instinct or rational choice? Is it truly the best way to live a moral life? Ranging through biology, history, and psychology, Daniel C. Dennett charts religion’s evolution from “wild” folk belief to “domesticated” dogma. Not an antireligious screed but an unblinking look beneath the veil of orthodoxy, Breaking the Spell will be read and debated by believers and skeptics alike.

One of today's most controversial and heated issues is whether or not the conflict between science and religion can be reconciled. In Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?, renowned philosophers Daniel C. Dennett and Alvin Plantinga expand upon the arguments that they presented in an exciting live debate held at the 2009 American Philosophical Association Central Division conference. An enlightening discussion that will motivate students to think critically, Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? opens with Plantinga's assertion that Christianity is compatible with evolutionary theory because Christians believe that God created the living world, and it is entirely possible that God did so by using a process of evolution. Dennett vigorously rejects this argument, provoking a reply from Plantinga, another response from Dennett, and final statements from both sides. As philosophers, the authors possess expert skills in critical analysis; their arguments provide a model of dialogue between those who strongly disagree. Ideal for courses in philosophy of religion, science and religion, and philosophy of science, Science and Religion is also captivating reading for general readers.

Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? (Point/Counterpoint)

Plantinga, Alvin

Oxford University Press

From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds

W.W.Norton

Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking

Intuition Pumps & Other Tools For Thinki

Self-Help

Personal Transformation

Penguin

An evolutionary and cognitive account of the addictive mind candy that is humor.

Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind

Humor & Entertainment

Hurley, Matthew M.

Adams, Reginald B., Jr.

Humor

Mit Pr

A lively and incisive collection of papers. Dennett offers us a comprehensive theory of mind, set forth in seventeen essays, united by an extensive introduction. An important book for cognitive psychologists, neurophysiologists, computer scientists, those interested in linguistics and in artificial intelligence, and epistemological philosophers. "The problems that Daniel Dennett addresses in his essays are crucial ones for philosophy and contemporary science. With a sure touch and a great deal of insight, he has subjected to analysis questions that lie at, or perhaps just beyond, the frontiers of the scientific study of mind and brain..." Noam Chomsky "The essays in this volume comprise what is perhaps the most important single, sustained contribution by a philosopher to the current inter-disciplinary conversation about the nature and methodology of the 'cognitive science' ... Informed discussion of explanation in linguistics, cognitive psychology and AI starts here." Jerry Fodor -- The above is excerpted from the dust jacket of another edition of the book.

Brainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology

MIT Press]

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Dennett, Daniel C.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Dennett, Daniel C.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Dennett, Daniel C.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Brainchildren (Penguin Press Science)

Freedom Evolves

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

Freedom Evolves

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? (Point/Counterpoint)

From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds

Intuition Pumps & Other Tools For Thinki

Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind

Brainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology