RIP Dan Dennett
photo source: arstechnica Daniel C. Dennett was a philosopher of enormous influence and stature, held in the highest regard by philosophers and scientists alike. His work played a huge role in shaping my own philosophical ideas on a to number of topics: from free will (where I still agree with the thrust of his arguments) to the philosophy of mind (where I’ve eventually come to reject his approach). Right or wrong, he was a powerful and inspiring communicator, a luminescent voice of insight and curiosity. Apart from any particular philosophical ideas, his work has also had a huge impact on my approach to how philosophy should be practiced. Unlike the vast number of academic philosophers, he wrote with a devotion to the pleasure of *reading*. He criticized philosophers for writing for the pleasure of *writing*, as if getting their ideas on paper were an end in itself. He wrote with personality and wit, recognizing that philosophical investigation is a fully human experience. I reco...