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Doctorate and First Book
Dennett received his doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University, writing his thesis paper on the nature of consciousness. This paper would later be published as his first book, Content and Consciousness (1969). In this book, he looks at how the mind and physical body interact, a philosophical discussion dating back to Descartes. In the book, he gives a theory for both mental content and consciousness, which he is still expanding upon to this day. -
Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University
Dennett thought that the mind-body problem could not solely be solved through philosophical means but needed science in order to be fully understood. He continued his research into other topics such as cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Due to his philosophical contributions to the new field of cognitive science, he was made director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. -
Continued Theories of Consciousness
Dennett continued to author several books throughout the 90s about his theories of what consciousness is and how it relates to the physical. He specifically delved into how consciousness evolved in his book Darwin's Dangerous Idea (1995).
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Advocation for Atheism
Leading into the new millennium, Dennett became more involved in the atheist movement. In 2006 he published Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, where he wrote about his theory of religion to be an instinct-driven social phenomena, evolved by humans over time. He was latter coined one of the "Four Horseman of the Counter-Apocalypse" along with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens.