Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking

In Intuition Pumps, Daniel Dennett, one of the world's leading philosophers, and author of Consciousness Explained and Freedom Evolves , offers aspiring thinkers his personal trove of mind-stretching thought experiments Thinking is hard. A few of us may be natural geniuses; others are blessed with reserves of willpower. Then there's the rest of us: not prodigies and short on time, but still aspiring to understand the world. What can we do? Daniel Dennett, one of the world's most original thinkers, reveals a collection of his favourite thinking tools, or 'intuition pumps'. From Occam's Razor to the benefit of mistakes, the 90% rule to avoiding 'deepitites', this entertaining guide will enable you to tackle life's most fundamental questions - evolution, meaning, consciousness and free will - and teach you to think truly independently and creatively. Daniel Dennett is one of the most original and provocative thinkers in the world. A brilliant polemicist and philosopher, he is famous for challenging unexamined orthodoxies. His books include Brainstorms , Brainchildren , Elbow Room , Consciousness Explained , Darwin's Dangerous Idea and Freedom Evolves . He lives in North Andover, Massachusetts. 'One of the world's most original and provocative thinkers' Daily Telegraph 'A master class' Guardian 'Intelligence, insight and flair ... They don't come much bigger than Daniel Dennett' Julian Baggini, Guardian 'A philosopher's box of tools for the musing mind' Melvin Konner, Nature 'You'll enjoy and be challenged by it'Steven Rose, Guardian 'A lively primer on the radical answers Mr. Dennett has elaborated to the big questions in his nearly five decades in philosophy' Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times 'America's most important and entertaining philosopher' Observer

In Intuition Pumps, Daniel Dennett, one of the world's leading philosophers, and author of Consciousness Explained and Freedom Evolves , offers aspiring thinkers his personal trove of mind-stretching thought experiments Thinking is hard. A few of us may be natural geniuses; others are blessed with reserves of willpower. Then there's the rest of us: not prodigies and short on time, but still aspiring to understand the world. What can we do? Daniel Dennett, one of the world's most original thinkers, reveals a collection of his favourite thinking tools, or 'intuition pumps'. From Occam's Razor to the benefit of mistakes, the 90% rule to avoiding 'deepitites', this entertaining guide will enable you to tackle life's most fundamental questions - evolution, meaning, consciousness and free will - and teach you to think truly independently and creatively. Daniel Dennett is one of the most original and provocative thinkers in the world. A brilliant polemicist and philosopher, he is famous for challenging unexamined orthodoxies. His books include Brainstorms , Brainchildren , Elbow Room , Consciousness Explained , Darwin's Dangerous Idea and Freedom Evolves . He lives in North Andover, Massachusetts. 'One of the world's most original and provocative thinkers' Daily Telegraph 'A master class' Guardian 'Intelligence, insight and flair ... They don't come much bigger than Daniel Dennett' Julian Baggini, Guardian 'A philosopher's box of tools for the musing mind' Melvin Konner, Nature 'You'll enjoy and be challenged by it'Steven Rose, Guardian 'A lively primer on the radical answers Mr. Dennett has elaborated to the big questions in his nearly five decades in philosophy' Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times 'America's most important and entertaining philosopher' Observer

Over a storied career, Daniel C. Dennett has engaged questions about science and the workings of the mind. His answers have combined rigorous argument with strong empirical grounding. And a lot of fun. Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking offers seventy-seven of Dennett's most successful "imagination-extenders and focus-holders" meant to guide you through some of life's most treacherous subject matter: evolution, meaning, mind, and free will. With patience and wit, Dennett deftly deploys his thinking tools to gain traction on these thorny issues while offering readers insight into how and why each tool was built. Alongside well-known favorites like Occam's Razor and reductio ad absurdum lie thrilling descriptions of Dennett's own creations: Trapped in the Robot Control Room, Beware of the Prime Mammal, and The Wandering Two-Bitser. Ranging across disciplines as diverse as psychology, biology, computer science, and physics, Dennett's tools embrace in equal measure light-heartedness and accessibility as they welcome uninitiated and seasoned readers alike. As always, his goal remains to teach you how to "think reliably and even gracefully about really hard questions." A sweeping work of intellectual seriousness that's also studded with impish delights, Intuition Pumps offers intrepid thinkers-in all walks of life-delicious opportunities to explore their pet ideas with new powers.

Over a storied career, Daniel C. Dennett has engaged questions about science and the workings of the mind. His answers have combined rigorous argument with strong empirical grounding. And a lot of fun. Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking offers seventy-seven of Dennett's most successful "imagination-extenders and focus-holders" meant to guide you through some of life's most treacherous subject matter: evolution, meaning, mind, and free will. With patience and wit, Dennett deftly deploys his thinking tools to gain traction on these thorny issues while offering readers insight into how and why each tool was built. Alongside well-known favorites like Occam's Razor and reductio ad absurdum lie thrilling descriptions of Dennett's own creations: Trapped in the Robot Control Room, Beware of the Prime Mammal, and The Wandering Two-Bitser. Ranging across disciplines as diverse as psychology, biology, computer science, and physics, Dennett's tools embrace in equal measure light-heartedness and accessibility as they welcome uninitiated and seasoned readers alike. As always, his goal remains to teach you how to "think reliably and even gracefully about really hard questions." A sweeping work of intellectual seriousness that's also studded with impish delights, Intuition Pumps offers intrepid thinkers-in all walks of life-delicious opportunities to explore their pet ideas with new powers.