Dennett wears his philosophical hat in this short volume, based on
lectures given at University College, Dublin and Canterbury
University (New Zealand). As a result, there is more intellectual
gameplay here than late news from the neuroscience front, making
for a volume that is sometimes stimulating, but often frustrating.
Dennett (Center for Cognitive Studies/Tufts Univ.) is a clever
writer and has written insightfully about mind matters in
Consciousness Explained (1991) and evolution in Darwin's Dangerous
Idea (1995). But in assuming the philosopher's stance here he
admits to raising more questions than answers. At the same time he
introduces into these lectures a welter of specialized languages
and theories, including the vocabulary of ontology, epistemology,
and a string of associated concepts, such as intentionality; the
notion of an agent or doer or a "mind-haver"; physical and design
stances; associationism, behaviorism, and connectionism (as in
neural networks), referred to as ABC learning and so on. To what
avail? Simply, it seems, to come to some conclusions about where in
the Darwinian scheme of things thinking and consciousness (and
self-consciousness) come into being. In the end, Dennett strongly
supports the notion that only with language comes thought. Further,
we only arrive in the abstract multidimensional world of ideas by
means of written language and the ability to extend our
intelligence through the artful inventions of culture and its
representations in books, computers, and records (our external
mental "prosthetic" devices). So nix on intelligent chimps and
dolphins, but maybe a kind word for dogs as having been bred to
respond to humans. Not a book that will be embraced by animal
champions. And not Dennett at his best. (Kirkus Reviews)
What kinds of minds are there, and how do we know? This book aims
to answer these questions, the first being about ontology, and the
second about epistemology.
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