Phil 120 Exam 2- Dennett

Front 1

Dennett I. 1. What point does Dennett make with his story about looking for the “subway” in London?

Back 1

A subway in England is a passage under the street, and in America it is a train.
*Looking for the self in the brain is like looking for the subway train in a London subway entrance...wrong place/wrong approach.

Front 2

Dennett I. 2. What approach will Dennett take to understand what a self is?

Back 2

Through evolutionary biology
-In terms of origins
There was no self-preservation at one point, but after living things were present, there was self-preservation, thus, selves

Front 3

Dennett II. 1. Why is the distinction between self and other a fundamental biological principle?

Back 3

Distinguishing between the self and external world can help you survive.
-A lobster doesn't eat itself when hungry...self preservation

Front 4

Dennett II. 2. How does the immune system show the existence of a self?

Back 4

immune system expels foreign bodies
transplant- body rejects mismatch

Front 5

Dennett II. 3. What is a “minimal self” (“primitive self”)?

Back 5

a principle of organization that distinguishes (draws boundaries)
-is real, but abstract (not a thing, not physical, but real)
-a midpoint doesn't take up space, but it exists)

Front 6

Dennett III. 1. What point does Dennett make with his examples of the hermit crab and beaver’s dam?

Back 6

hermit crab- finds a shell and 'moves in' for protection
-It's a part of the self..what you control and care for
Beaver's Dam- Dam is part of its environment, controls and cares for...part of its 'self'

Front 7

Dennett III 2. How does this point (beaver dam, hermit crab) apply to human beings?

Back 7

We also have flexible boundaries.
-What we control and care for varies from person to person.

Front 8

Dennett IV. 1. What element in the human environment most distinguishes it from the environment of other animals?

Back 8

Words (language) distinguish us from other animals
-we weave our words into narratives (stories)
-we have a primitive self from conception to death, but not a narrative self until speech

Front 9

Dennett IV 2. What is a human being’s fundamental tactic of self-protection?

Back 9

Telling stories is a fundamental tactic
-A one year old or a comatose person cannot tell a story, so they are not a person....persons tell stories

Front 10

Dennett IV 3. What does Dennett mean by his claim that the human self is the product and not the source of narrative?

Back 10

At the common sense level, I am the source of my story
Dennett says, however, that we are the PRODUCT
-we exist because of our story, and are created because of words
::I exist because of my story, and if I do not tell my story, I do not exist::

Front 11

Dennett IV 4. In what sense is the self “a center of narrative gravity”?

Back 11

center of gravity-point of balance
-it exists, but is abstract
-our name refers to the center of our story (we are the stars)

Front 12

Dennett V. 1. How does the phenomenon of multiple personality disorder support Dennett’s theory that the self is a center of narrative gravity?

Back 12

You can take on roles depending on the situtation (because of abuse)
Not all human bodies have a self, but a body can have more than one self (MPD, more than one 'main character')
-two persons in one body...more than one center of gravity
-both selves can tell their stories

Front 13

Dennett VI. 1. What is the main function of a Head of State? What is the parallel function of the self?

Back 13

The main function of the Head of State is to represent the people.
The parallel function is the Head of Mind, which represents yourself.

Front 14

Dennett VI 2. How is the Head of Mind “elected”?

Back 14

Choose the role that fits you best--choose your story
-options played over in your mind

Front 15

Dennett VI 3. What is Dennett’s example of an “election” in the visual system?

Back 15

binocular rivalry- favoring one eye over the other because of distorted image
-vision chooses one eye, self chooses one personality
-"nature likes one"