Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Daniel Dennett: Do We Have Free Will? [Ep. 406]

Apr 21, 2024

Renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett discusses free will, human consciousness, ethics, and AI concerns in a deep dive interview. Known for challenging beliefs about the mind, he critiques Sam Harris's view on free will and explores the evolution of humor, music, and language. The conversation also touches on the origins of life, AI intelligence, memory outsourcing, bioengineering ethics, and modern parenting challenges.

01:27:58

Episode guests

Daniel Dennett

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Quick takeaways

Self-control is the key to free will, not a metaphysical blessing, according to Dennett's critique of deterministic views.

Emphasizing mentorship in science, the episode highlights the challenges and rewards of guiding future scientific leaders.

The integration of AI into daily life requires vigilant oversight to ensure accuracy, as AI may not always meet expectations.

Deep dives

Daniel Dennett's Legacy and Influential Work

Discussing the passing of revered philosopher Daniel Dennett, the episode reflects on his final interview, highlighting his significant contributions to the fields of philosophy and intellect. Dennett's impact is noted, with the podcast host expressing gratitude for the intellectual exchange and the privilege of hosting him, showcasing how the conversation with Dennett influenced and resonated deeply.

Terry Deacon's argument on that computers are parasitic

01:08

Darwin showed intelligence isn’t the source, it’s the effect

01:04

Reflections on Mentorship, Leadership, and Academic Pursuits

02:13

Introduction

4min

Navigating Academia, Mentorship, and Scientific Excellence

16min

Exploring the Concept of Free Will and the Power of Subscriptions

3min

Exploration of Criticism, Evolution of Humor, Music, and Costly Signaling Theory in Sexual Selection

4min

Exploring the Minimum Viable Product for Evolution and Life's Origins

4min

Exploring the Evolution of Language and AI Intelligence

18min

Discussion on Outsourcing Memory to Technology and Promoting Monday Magic Messages

2min

Exploring the Intersection of AI, Bioengineering, and Academic Evolution

23min

Navigating the Modern Challenges of Parenting

12min

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN!

Welcome everyone to a fascinating deep dive with the late Daniel Dennett!

In our interview, we tackled fascinating problems like free will, human consciousness, ethics, and the philosophy of science. He also explained why he’s sounding the alarm on AI!

Shortly after our interview, Daniel sadly passed away at the age of 82. He was a renowned philosopher, thought-provoking writer, brilliant cognitive scientist, and vocal atheist. He was the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, a member of the editorial board for The Rutherford Journal, and a co-founder of The Clergy Project.

Known as one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism, he was at the forefront of discussions on consciousness, free will, and the impact of Darwinian evolution on religious belief. Dennett's works, including "Breaking the Spell" and "Consciousness Explained," have provoked both admiration and controversy, challenging readers to reconsider deeply held beliefs about the mind and its relationship to the physical world. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have Dan on the show!

The world has truly lost an extraordinary soul and a groundbreaking thinker.

RIP

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:09:27 Judging a book by its cover
00:12:29 Dan's critique of Sam Harris's position on free will
00:21:43 The evolutionary advantage of music
00:29:01 Language, nonverbal communication, and artificial intelligence
00:34:33 Are brains computers?
00:46:04 Sounding the alarm on AI
00:51:38 Bioengineering and bioethics
00:57:21 Philosophy of physics
01:02:47 The evolution of academia
01:09:08 Audience questions
01:23:10 Outro

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