Product Description

What kinds of minds are there, and how do we know? The first question is about what exists and the second is about our knowledge. The aim of Kinds of Minds is to answer these questions, in general outline, and to show why these two questions have to be answered together. What exists is one thing. What we can know about is something else. But we know enough about minds, Dennett argues, to know that one of the things that makes them different from everything else in the universe is the way we know about them. 'Provoking but clarifying ... Daniel Dennett's book is a memorable and stimulating work of popular scientific explanation. It thoroughly readjusts the reader's mental image of what the mind is and how it got there but leaves one surprised that the explanation can be ultimately so simple when the implications are so vast' Anthony Smith, Observer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #330762 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
At the beginning of Kinds of Minds Dennett asks, "What kinds of minds are there? And how do we know?" These two questions--the first ontological, the second epistemological--set the agenda for the book. Intuitions untutored by theory are not capable of answering these questions, Dennett argues, making it necessary to pursue insight from the evolutionary point of view. Accordingly, subsequent chapters are devoted to phylogenetic speculations about agency and intentionality, sensitivity and sentience and perception and behaviour. Particularly charming is the series of squiggly amoebas--the Darwinian, Skinnerian, Popperian and Gregorian creatures--that illustrates the hierarchy of cognitive power. In the final chapter, Dennett returns to the original two questions, ending not with their answers, but, he hopes, with "better versions of the questions themselves".

In Consciousness Explained, Dennett embarked on the audacious task of explaining human consciousness. He sets his sights even higher for Kinds of Minds, attempting to provide a more general explanation of consciousness. But don't be put off: the book is short, easy to read and makes a good introduction to Dennett's richly interdisciplinary oeuvre. While beginners will appreciate Dennett's appeals to intuitive moral considerations to emphasise the importance of investigating consciousness, there is much in the book to hold the attention of readers already familiar with his previous work. --Glenn Branch

About the Author
Daniel C. Dennett is Director of the Center of Cognitive Studies, and Distinguished Arts and Sciences Professor at Tufts University, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

A first step on the ladder...
I found this book to be a good introduction and overview of the philosophical issue of consciousness. For anyone from a non-philosophical background, who is interested in "what makes us tick", it has to be considered an essential read, if only to acclimatise yourself to a philosopher's way of writing. However, for the more experienced philosopher I suggest skipping this particular text and jumping straight in with the more comprehensive "Consciousness Explained" (also by Dennett)

From this point forward
If you aren't familiar with the works of Daniel Dennett, this is the starting point of choice. This American philosopher's ability to pose thought-provoking questions is unmatched. In this collection, the focus is on "what is a mind?" How do we define "the mind" and are humans the sole possessors of it? Dennett is not only deft at posing these posers, he presents the questions and his explanations with philosophy's finest prose and wit. His other advantage over his fellow cognitive scientists is his use of Darwin's "dangerous idea," evolution by natural selection. As products of that process, humans are not exempt from its rules. That framework raises the issue of whether other creatures can be said to have "minds." Dennett explores this issue with skillfully chosen examples. These are part of the list of "kinds of minds."

Dennett is famous among philosophers for devising the concept of "the intentional stance." The intentional stance is interpreting the behaviour of an entity." The range of entities is extensive - a simple thermostat has predictable behaviour - when the room is cool, the device closes a circuit turning on the heat. According to Dennett, the simplest creatures exhibited similar "robotic" behaviour, but as life evolved, more complex patterns developed. Dennett argues that "adopting the intentional stance is not just a good idea but the key to unraveling the mysteries of the mind - all kinds of minds." In his view, intentional systems have progressed along the course of evolution in ever complex steps. Humans, with the development of language, have achieved the highest level of cognitive abilities.

Dennett addresses what many philosophers call the "mind-body" question. Those who feel the mind and body must be considered separately will face some challenging assertions here. Perhaps more importantly, those who may not feel disposed to read philosophy, will find much stimulate thinking about who they really are. Dennett keeps his presentation clearly formulated and easily readable. Quick, simple answers to questions about thinking are not Dennett's style. This is a slim tome, but the few pages are packed with rigorously conceived concepts. The words flow easily, but the content will bear repeated readings. As Dennett reminds us, there are countless questions about what a mind is, with many answers remaining to be derived. This book provides the starting point for that quest. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

An interesting introduction that would have benefitted from more practical examples
In `Kinds of Minds', Daniel Dennett aims to explore the concept of mind; what is it and where does it come from? And also the ways in which humans are distinct from other animals in terms of the way we process information.
The book is an interesting introduction and aims to challenge preconceptions we may have (especially about the extent to which animals can actually `think'.) I found the arguments persuasive and sympathetic and there is a good reference and further reading section at the back of the book which gives you opportunities to study the subject further.

My only criticism would be that whilst some of the areas of discussion are explained in simple and concrete terms, there are occasions when Dennett seems to forget that he might be writing an introduction to a complex subject. This results in pages and pages of quite complex theory, with a practical example near the end. This is a shame, because you can feel yourself struggling to keep up and having to re-read sections, only to realise that if he had given you the concrete example in the first place you would have understood the point he was trying to make.

This book does raise interesting and thoughtful points and the concluding chapter is great but, wow, this can be tough going!