Episode 154
Daniel Dennett: Why Free Will Survives in a Deterministic Universe
The deepest dive into philosopher Daniel Dennett's mind. YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH553zzjQlI
Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal · Theories of Everything
December 26, 20232h 51m
Show Notes
Daniel Dennett challenges the existence of qualia, the soul, and argues consciousness can be uploaded They discuss pragmatism, emergence, and the AI alignment problem, weaving insights from neuroscience to philosophy.
- 00:00 - The Soul
- 03:18 - Most Important Philosophical Question
- 12:06 - Do Qualia Exist?
- 30:28 - Uploading Consciousness
- 39:55 - Thinking Differently
- 56:20 - Pragmatism
- 1:01:06 - Robert Sapolsky
- 1:12:57 - Philosophers and Scientists
- 1:29:30 - Patterns and Emergence
- 1:36:46 - Roger Penrose
- 1:42:39 - Sailing Boats
- 1:45:40 - Fictionalism
- 1:51:12 - Coming Up With Concepts
- 1:59:55 - Douglas Hofstadter
- 2:05:30 - AI Alignment Problem
- 2:11:31 - Q&A
SPONSORS:
- Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal
- Crypto: https://tinyurl.com/cryptoTOE
- PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE
- TOE Merch: https://tinyurl.com/TOEmerch
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoriesofeverythingpod
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriesofeverything_
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt
- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs
- iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802
- Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e
- Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything
RESOURCES:
- I've Been Thinking (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3RVffvf
- The Ego of the Mind (Daniel Dennett & Douglas Hofstadter): https://amzn.to/3RK4JGa
- Determined (Robert Sapolsky): https://amzn.to/3RWMm0P
- Podcast w/ Robert Sapolsky on TOE: COMING - Elbow Room (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3GT8u77
- The Extended Phenotype (Richard Dawkins): https://amzn.to/3GVyMW3
- The Emperor's New Mind (Roger Penrose): https://amzn.to/3RVmiEb
- Podcast w/ Carlo Rovelli on TOE: Carlo Rovelli: Loop Quantum Gravity, ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_fUPbBNmBw&t=0s
- Engineering, Daydreaming, and Control (Daniel Dennett): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360998429_Engineering_Daydreaming_and_Control
- Am I a Fictionalist? (Daniel Dennett): https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003091073-23/fictionalist-daniel-dennett
- The Selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins): https://amzn.to/3RX38hu
- Consciousness Explained (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/41BHPVO
- Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3S6lQmZ
- Darwin's Dangerous Idea (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3vi0VV2
- Freedom Evolves (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3THPIqL
- Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3TDef0g
- From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/41yKJL3
- Podcast w/ David Sloan Wilson on TOE: David Sloan Wilson: Why Dawkins Is Pl... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3fG96gvgLU&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman on TOE: Donald Hoffman: The Nature of Conscio... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmieNQH7Q4w&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman and Joscha Bach on TOE: Donald Hoffman Λ Joscha Bach: Conscio... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhSlYfVtgww&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman and Philip Goff on TOE: Reality, Evolution, Consciousness | D... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmaIBxkqcT4&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman and John Vervaeke on TOE: Exposing the Matrix: Cognitive Scient... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTpdCVsttI&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Anand Vaidya on TOE: Anand Vaidya: Consciousness, Truth, B... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BPLcuHnS_A&t=0s
- 00:00 - The Soul
- 03:18 - Most Important Philosophical Question
- 12:06 - Do Qualia Exist?
- 30:28 - Uploading Consciousness
- 39:55 - Thinking Differently
- 56:20 - Pragmatism
- 1:01:06 - Robert Sapolsky
- 1:12:57 - Philosophers and Scientists
- 1:29:30 - Patterns and Emergence
- 1:36:46 - Roger Penrose
- 1:42:39 - Sailing Boats
- 1:45:40 - Fictionalism
- 1:51:12 - Coming Up With Concepts
- 1:59:55 - Douglas Hofstadter
- 2:05:30 - AI Alignment Problem
- 2:11:31 - Q&A
SPONSORS:
- Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal
- Crypto: https://tinyurl.com/cryptoTOE
- PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE
- TOE Merch: https://tinyurl.com/TOEmerch
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoriesofeverythingpod
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriesofeverything_
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt
- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs
- iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802
- Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e
- Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything
RESOURCES:
- I've Been Thinking (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3RVffvf
- The Ego of the Mind (Daniel Dennett & Douglas Hofstadter): https://amzn.to/3RK4JGa
- Determined (Robert Sapolsky): https://amzn.to/3RWMm0P
- Podcast w/ Robert Sapolsky on TOE: COMING - Elbow Room (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3GT8u77
- The Extended Phenotype (Richard Dawkins): https://amzn.to/3GVyMW3
- The Emperor's New Mind (Roger Penrose): https://amzn.to/3RVmiEb
- Podcast w/ Carlo Rovelli on TOE: Carlo Rovelli: Loop Quantum Gravity, ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_fUPbBNmBw&t=0s
- Engineering, Daydreaming, and Control (Daniel Dennett): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360998429_Engineering_Daydreaming_and_Control
- Am I a Fictionalist? (Daniel Dennett): https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003091073-23/fictionalist-daniel-dennett
- The Selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins): https://amzn.to/3RX38hu
- Consciousness Explained (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/41BHPVO
- Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3S6lQmZ
- Darwin's Dangerous Idea (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3vi0VV2
- Freedom Evolves (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3THPIqL
- Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/3TDef0g
- From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds (Daniel Dennett): https://amzn.to/41yKJL3
- Podcast w/ David Sloan Wilson on TOE: David Sloan Wilson: Why Dawkins Is Pl... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3fG96gvgLU&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman on TOE: Donald Hoffman: The Nature of Conscio... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmieNQH7Q4w&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman and Joscha Bach on TOE: Donald Hoffman Λ Joscha Bach: Conscio... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhSlYfVtgww&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman and Philip Goff on TOE: Reality, Evolution, Consciousness | D... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmaIBxkqcT4&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Donald Hoffman and John Vervaeke on TOE: Exposing the Matrix: Cognitive Scient... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTpdCVsttI&t=0s
- Podcast w/ Anand Vaidya on TOE: Anand Vaidya: Consciousness, Truth, B... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BPLcuHnS_A&t=0s
Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science.
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