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Tue 11 Aug, 2009 04:32 pm
Sweet Dreams: Philosophical Obstacles to a Science of Consciousness (Jean Nicod Lectures) by Daniel C.Dennett
ISBN-10: 0262541912
ISBN-13: 978-0262541916
Overview
This relatively short book by Daniel Dennett the author of the very successful Consciousness Explained is based on the text from the Jean Nicod lectures that he gave in 2001 (though the book wasnt published until a later date) Ten Years after his book Consciousness Explained was published, with the aim of reviewing the developments in the Science of Consciousness & some of the Philosophical objections that have been raised and others that are still doing the rounds.
Highlights
- Dennett writes in his typically very readable but informative style, taking the reader through his points and should be accessible to those who are not well read in the subject matter
- It is a stimulating and entertaining read for those interested in the subject of Consciousness, with Dennett displaying his controversial but influencial ideas.
- Dennett gives a more full treatment to the thought experiment 'Marys Room' which did get discussed in the 1991, but not to the extent that it is in Sweet Dreams.
Negatives
- The book has some slight repetition with some parts of later chapters covering what had already been covered in earlier chapters often word for word. Dennett did say he avoided this repetition as much as he could ( the book is the Collection of Articles, essays & lectures) but the repetition that remained did annoy me slightly.
- Whether people who have already consumed 1991's Consciousness Explained, would feel that buying Sweet Dreams was a worthwhile purchase is another question as there seems to be little that is ground breaking or would add too the readers understanding of the issue, though I must say having read Cousciousness Explained myself I still found some bits of the book interesting and thought provoking.
Other Review
One of the 100 Most Influential Books of 2005: "In characteristically playful mode, Darwinian fundamentalist Daniel Dennett turns his opposition's arguments against them in a masterful display of philosophical judo.... He is on his way to becoming the Herbert Spencer of our age, the man of ideas who can bridge radition and science, giving us a sense of how it is that the robot in the mirror is really us." -- "The Globe and Mail"
Overall Rating 7.5/10
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