Philosopher Daniel C. Dennett Named UAB Ireland Visiting Scholar

Renowned philosopher and author Daniel C. Dennett, Ph.D., will receive the 2005 Ireland Distinguished Visiting Scholar Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Renowned philosopher and author Daniel C. Dennett, Ph.D., will receive the 2005 Ireland Distinguished Visiting Scholar Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Dennett, a leading proponent of the computational model of the mind, will present a free public lecture, “Explaining the ‘Magic’ of Consciousness,” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at the Alys Stephens Center’s Jemison Concert Hall, 1200 10th Avenue South.

Just as some people resist having stage magic explained to them — fearing that it will spoil the mystery — many people resist explanations of consciousness that show it to be less miraculous that it first appears. Dennett will discuss the nature of consciousness and present examples of how aspects of consciousness can be explained.

Dennett is author of several major books on the mind and consciousness, including Consciousness Explained, which was named one of the “10 Best Books of 1991” by The New York Times Book Review. Dennett also published the controversial book Darwin’s Dangerous Idea in 1995, in which he argued that Darwinian evolution is the central organizing force in biology and for other aspects of the universe, including the human mind. His other publications include Content and Consciousness (1969), The Mind’s I (1981) and his most recent book, Freedom Evolves, published in 2003.

Dennett directs Tufts University’s Center for Cognitive Studies, and he is the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy. He has been the Leverhulme Professor for the London School of Economics’ Department of Philosophy and History of Science since 2001.

As the UAB Ireland Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Dennett will visit the UAB campus and participate in a philosophy conference, “Distributed Cognition and the Will: Individual Volition in Social Context,” March 18-20 at UAB. At the conference, Dennett will present his lecture “My Body Has a Mind of Its Own” at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 19, in the Bevill Building, First Floor, 845 19th Street South.

The Ireland Award brings internationally renowned scholars in the arts and sciences to UAB to present a public lecture, attend a dinner in their honor and participate in campus activities. The prize is made possible through an endowment established by Caroline F. and Charles W. Ireland.