Active Inference Insights Krys Dolega ~ Active Inference Insights 022 ~ Emperor’s New Markov Blankets, Attention, Dan Dennett
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Jul 30, 2024 Krys Dolega, a philosopher of mind and cognitive scientist, dives into the influential works of Daniel Dennett, exploring his contributions to the philosophy of mind. The conversation spans the role of attention in shaping our phenomenal experiences and the complexities surrounding the concept of Markov blankets. Dolega examines the intersection of free energy principles and active inference, offering fresh insights into reality's nature. The discussion highlights the evolving understanding of consciousness and the nuances of predictive processing, challenging traditional views.
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Dennett's Influence and Kindness
- Krys Dolega discusses his personal and professional relationship with his late PhD supervisor, Dan Dennett.
- He highlights Dennett's kindness, curiosity, and emphasis on science-informed philosophy.
Cartesian Materialism
- Cartesian materialism, coined by Dennett, describes a view where consciousness arises from a specific brain location, like Descartes' pineal gland.
- Dennett argued against this, proposing a distributed view where consciousness emerges from the interaction of various brain functions.
Transduction of Experience
- Even with a distributed brain network, there seems to be a transduction from matter into phenomenal experience.
- This raises questions about where and how this transduction occurs, even if not localized to a single point.