It might be an unpleasant idea, but if you spit in a cup, can you re-drink your saliva? It seems like once something leaves your body, It’s no longer part of you, similar to hair or nails. This explains how we get our sense of self. Similarly, our bodies are home to...
In Chapter 12, Dennett addresses the concept of qualia—the way we subjectively experience things. Many philosophers argue that colours, for instance, are merely mental constructs rather than real properties of objects. Some argue that certain main features, like red,...
In Chapter 11, Dennett starts investigating the implications of the multiple drafts model, revisiting the reporting problem introduced in the previous chapter. Chapter 11 is called “dismantling the witness protection program”. Titled “Dismantling the...
After discussing speech production, Dennett shifts his focus to reporting and expressing our thoughts. The problem with reporting is that it could undo the parallel models that Dennett worked to prove in previous chapters. Multiple drafts, or collaborative demons,...
The architecture of the human mind is the topic of chapter nine. The lack of a single way to understand the human mind is the first issue that Dennett discusses at the beginning of the chapter. What modules form the human mind? How hard-wired are they? Jerry Fodor...
“How words do things with us?” is the title of chapter eight. It starts with the idea of how the virtual machines inside us are organised and how they could have a “virtual captain” of the crew, but not elevate the captain to have dictatorial power....
