Kinds Of Minds : Toward An Understanding Of Consciousness
By Danile C. DennettCombining ideas from philosophy, artificial intelligence, and neurobiology, Daniel Dennett leads the reader on a fascinating journey of inquiry, exploring such intriguing possibilities as: Can any of us really know what is going on in someone else's mind? What distinguishes the human mind from the minds of animals, especially those capable of complex behaviour? If such animals, for instance, were magically given the power of language, would their communities evolve an intelligence as subtly discriminating as ours? Will robots, once they have been endowed with sensory systems like those that provide us with experience, ever exhibit the particular traits long thought to distinguish the human mind, including the ability to think about thinking? Dennett addresses these questions from an evolutionary perspective. Beginning with the macromolecules of DNA and RNA, the author shows how, step-by-step, animal life moved from the simple ability to respond to frequently recurring environmental conditions to much more powerful ways of beating the odds, ways of using patterns of past experience to predict the future in never-before-encountered situations. Whether talking about robots whose video-camera "eyes" give us the powerful illusion that "there is somebody in there" or asking us to consider whether spiders are just tiny robots mindlessly spinning their webs of elegant design, Dennett is a master at finding and posing questions sure to stimulate and even disturb.
show more
Book details
- Paperback
- 192 pages
- English
- 0465073514
- 9780465073511
About Danile C. Dennett
danile c. dennett was Read More about Danile C. Dennett
More Books By Danile C. Dennett
People who bought this also bought
Talking to Strangers : What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
New Book
Anatomy of a Food Addiction: The Brain Chemistry of Overeating: An Effective Program to Overcome Compulsive Eating
Used Book
Internet Prophets: Enlightened E-Business Strategies for Every Budget
Used Book
Life 2.0 : How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness
Used Book
The Complete Sleep Guide For Contented Babies and Toddlers book by Gina Ford
New Book
The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth About What Really Causes Heart Disease and How to Avoid It
Used Book
HBR's 10 Must Reads on Collaboration (with featured article Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership, by Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis)
New Book
Theirs Is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban America
Used Book
Finish Strong: Living Your Faith in the Secular World and Inspiring Others in the Process
Used Book
Jewish Wisdom for Business Success : Lessons from the Torah and Other Ancient Texts by Levi Brackman
New Book
The John Wooden Pyramid of Success: The Authorized Biography, Philosophy and Ultimate Guide to Life, Leadership, Friendship and Love of the Greatest Coach in the History of Sports
Used Book