Intuition Pumps And Other Tools for Thinking
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.96 (830 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0393082067 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 512 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-04-30 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
—Eric Banks . From Bookforum Dennett declares that his aim in Intuition Pumps is to lay out devices by which we might think more clearly, or with more insight, about a host of thorny topics—which might be boiled down to those many areas in which we errantly or too hastily assume we have a solid sense of the right and wrong answers. The sheer number of these thought experiments, geared to reveal how thoroughly incorrect our assumptions might be, is daring itself. The most provocative comprise consciousness, free will, and our own sense of what we mean by meaning and intend by speaking of intentionality—in other words, the philosophical terrain Dennett has explored extensively in
"Pumps, razors, brooms and other vices and virtues of thinking" according to Ash Jogalekar. If you have enjoyed any of Daniel Dennett's other books you will enjoy this. It is a pleasing, humorous and insightful journey into a gallery of mundane and profound thinking tools drawn from a wide-ranging set of disciplines, from literature and science to psychology and philosophy. It's worth noting that this is not really a "how to" book. Instead it's more like a survey of common as well as uncommon tools that. A good primer on clear thinking If you have read Dennett's previous books, particularly 'Freedom Evolves', and 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea', some portions of this book will sound very familiar, as it is largely based on previously published chapters, papers, and articles. That said, this is a very enjoyable read, an excellent guide to clear thinking based on more than 70 conceptual tools. It is to be praised that Dennett always strive for clarity . the long road Conan I've come a long way with Dennett. As a philosopher at U Penn in the '80s I had the chance to hear him speak at colloquia many times. He was indefatigable and an enjoyable, remarkably pleasant person. His collection, The Mind's I, made a tremendous impression upon me as did Consciousness Explained. His penchant for atheism is consistent with his materialism and comes as no surprise. His long-standing squabbles wi
Daniel C. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University and the author of numerous books including Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking, Breaking the Spell, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, and Consciousness Explained. Dennett is the Austin B.
With patience and wit, Dennett deftly deploys his thinking tools to gain traction on these thorny issues while offering readers insight into how and why each tool was built.Alongside well-known favorites like Occam’s Razor and reductio ad absurdum lie thrilling descriptions of Dennett’s own creations: Trapped in the Robot Control Room, Beware of the Prime Mammal, and The Wandering Two-Bitser. And a lot of fun. Ranging across disciplines as diverse as psychology, biology, computer science, and physics, Dennett’s tools embrace in equal measure light-heartedness and accessibility as they welcome uninitiated and seasoned readers alike. As always, his goal remains to teach you how to "think reliably and even gracefully about really hard questions."A sweeping work of intellectual seriousness that’s also studded with impish delights, Intuition Pumps offers intrepid thinkersin all walks of lifedelicious opportunities to explore their pet ideas with new powers.. Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking offers seventy-seven of Dennett’s most successful "imagination-extenders and focus-holders" meant to guide you through some of life’s most treacherous subject matter: evolution, meaning, mind, and free will. Dennett has engaged que