Humans As Rational Animals
Philosopher Daniel Dennet talks about the argument that humans are unique because we are rational. Professor Dennett points out examples of other animals which are also capable of taking actions based on rationality. The difference, he notes, is tha...
Science and Human Life
Philosopher Hubert Dreyfus argues that even if scientists come to a clear cosmological understanding of the universe, science can't teach us what kind of thing a human being is or what constitutes a good life.
Are Humans Unique?
Philosopher Daniel Dennett talks about ways in which we are similar to other primates, as well as ways in which we are different. One major difference is that our brains are capable of performing operations that result in language and culture, which...
Darwin and Human Nature
Philosopher Hubert Dreyfus talks about Charles Darwin, who wrote at about the same time as Kierkegaard, but wasn't drawn in by the same existentialist concerns. Darwin believed there is something like a human nature, even if unplanned by God. In fac...
The Past, The Future, and the Human Mind
Philosopher Daniel Dennett credits the development of distal perception capacity with the human ability to understand the world--including those things that are beneficial and those that are not--and make plans accordingly. Professor Dennett states ...
Human Beings: Description and Origins
Philosopher Daniel Dennett talks about the origins of human beings. He states that contrary to the old notion that people are distinct from other organisms in that we have souls (or, as Descartes suggested, that we are "thinking things with a body")...