On Dennett

The catch-all forum for general topics and debates. Minimal moderation. Rated PG to PG-13.
Post Reply
_Tarski
_Emeritus
Posts: 3059
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:57 pm

On Dennett

Post by _Tarski »

I keep hearing that the four horsemen are militant atheists.
Well, Dan Dennett is one of the four. I have become convinced that this is an unfair characterization of Dennett and not just because he explicitly denies being militant.
I invite everybody to watch the following interveiw, all of it, and decide.
By the end I think it is clear that Dennett is nothing like what his detracters claim.
(Tal, you too buddy)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... &plindex=1
when believers want to give their claims more weight, they dress these claims up in scientific terms. When believers want to belittle atheism or secular humanism, they call it a "religion". -Beastie

yesterday's Mormon doctrine is today's Mormon folklore.-Buffalo
_CaliforniaKid
_Emeritus
Posts: 4247
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:47 am

Post by _CaliforniaKid »

Daniel Dennett is one of the great thinkers of our time, in my opinion.
_Tal Bachman
_Emeritus
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:05 pm

Post by _Tal Bachman »

Okay amigo, I'll watch it when I have a chance. Hopefully it's better than the crude trash Dawkins spits out on religion...
_asbestosman
_Emeritus
Posts: 6215
Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:32 pm

Post by _asbestosman »

I like Dennett much better than Dawkins who I like more than Hitchins. I think Dennett is reasonable and usually fun to read or hear. Dawkins is mostly reasonable and Hitchins I see as a complete bigot.
That's General Leo. He could be my friend if he weren't my enemy.
eritis sicut dii
I support NCMO
_The Dude
_Emeritus
Posts: 2976
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:16 am

Post by _The Dude »

I like Dawkins much better than Dennett, although I never read Dennett's atheism book. Maybe it's biology vs. philosophy and that's why I prefer Dawkins. Dennett is kind of opaque sometimes with his philosophical thought experiments, whereas Dawkins really explains things the way I understand them.

Hitchens is a pathological contrarian. I can't stand him. He talks total trash whether it's atheism, or Iraq, or Obama. What does he agree with, besides himself?
"And yet another little spot is smoothed out of the echo chamber wall..." Bond
_Moniker
_Emeritus
Posts: 4004
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:53 pm

Post by _Moniker »

I really like Dennett, a lot.

I don't know if this has been posted on the board or not. It's a debate between Dennett and D'Souza.

Here's part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw7J15TeDG4

Here are the others:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tothesource1
_karl61
_Emeritus
Posts: 2983
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:29 pm

Post by _karl61 »

Thanks for the link: I never heard about him before.
I want to fly!
_Tal Bachman
_Emeritus
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:05 pm

Post by _Tal Bachman »

I just watched the whole thing. I thought he made a lot of great points.
Post Reply