Dennett, Daniel C. (1942–)

Contributions and Perspectives

Questions concerning epistemology and phenomenology have deep philosophical implications for our species ontology and teleology. These interdependent sources of human inquiry are the basis for our species cognitive existence. Drawing upon physical attributes with rational speculation, the ancient Greek philosophers Plato (ca.428–348 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC) attempted to construct the processes by which human beings exist in the external world. Through this philosophical inquiry, the birth of metaphysics provided the necessary explanations that would replace both myth and superstition. After metaphysics became adopted and modified by natural theology, the Enlightenment provided an opportunity for explanations to be independent of religion and theology. The philosophical positions of both the rationalists and the empiricists movement provided fertile groundwork for all facets of psychology and their philosophical implications, especially in the area of cognition. With the advancements made both in biology and evolutionary theory, a deeper understanding of biological processes has replaced or modified previously held theoretical positions about all processes of cognition, including our species' derived ontology, epistemology, and self-directed teleology.

Dealing with these issues, Daniel C. Dennett attempts to provide answers for the questions that are derived from human consciousness. His blended intellectual inquiries span from the philosophical spectrum of old (e.g., epistemology, phenomenology, ontology, and teleology), with recent advancements in both the cognitive sciences and artificial intelligence (AI). In the process of contrasting today's philosophical perspective with scientific evidence, his resulting interpretation provides a unique staring point by which a holistic understanding of person-hood can be attained. Strengthened by the understanding of Darwinian evolutionary theory,Dennett's philosophical perspective also gives a dynamic materialistic explanation of our species in relation to the rest of nature, resulting in philosophical controversies that give cues to the remaining influences of the philosophers of the Enlightenment.

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