Dennett’s Rhetorical Strategies in Consciousness Explained

Author: Derksen, Anthony¹

Source: Journal for General Philosophy of Science, Volume 36, Number 1, January 2005 , pp. 29-48(20)

Publisher: Springer

Key:

- Free Content

- New Content

- Subscribed Content

- Free Trial Content

Abstract:

Dennett’s Consciousness Explained (1991) is an inspiring but also a highly frustrating book. The line of the argument seems to be clear, but then at second sight it fades away. It turns out that Dennett uses six of the seven strategies which I discuss in my “The Seven Strategies of the Sophisticated Pseudo-Scientist: A Look into Freud’s Rhetorical Tool Box” (J. Gen. Phil. Sci., 2001) Discussing important examples of these strategies I show why Consciousness Explained is such a frustrating book. As the examples used do not reflect minor problems but go to the heart of the matter and concern the book’s main areas of contention, it turns out that, in spite of the valuable and insightful details, Dennett’s materialistic view of consciousness is supported mainly by rhetorical sleights of hand.

Keywords: Dennett; Freud; rhetorics; rhetorical strategies; phenomenal consciousness; multiple draft theory of consciousness; Cartesian Theater; filling-in; blind sight; heterophenomenology

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1007/s10838-005-7598-9

Affiliations: 1: Weezenhof 26-10, 6536, JA Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Email: derksen@phil.knn.nl

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$42.00 plus tax