Where Am I by Daniel Dennett Essay - 956 Words

In Daniel Dennett’s piece of literature â€Å"Where Am I† tells the hypothetical scenario of Dennett who is approached by the pentagon to undergo a dangerous mission where he is asked to retrieve a radioactive warhead lodged deep underground. In order to retrieve the radioactive warhead, he must undergo a brain operation to fully remove the brain as the waves from the warhead only affect the brain.(Page 34) Along with the radioactivity affecting the brain, the pentagon wanted to monitor the brains activity while underground, thus being another reason for the operation. As Dennett is underground working on the warhead, his radio transmitters sending signals between his brain and his body began to fail which causes him to lose control and†¦show more content†¦The three responses to this longstanding issue in western philosophy include materialism, dualism and idealism. Materialism can be defined simply as the only things there are all material or physical things. Idealists believe that there are no material things; there are only minds, and thoughts and experiences. While dualists think that the mental and physical are deeply different in kind: thus the mental is at least not identical with the physical. Relating to Daniel Dennett’s essay â€Å"Where am I† if Yorrick (Dennett’s brain) were to die would Dennett continue to exist through Hubert (the computer program that functionally mirrors his brain)? Dennett would not be able to survive because even though Hubert functions like Yorrick, Hubert isn’t able to recall memories and thoughts that make up a large part of Dennett. An example of this would be if you were to put your brain in a famous singer’s body and take their brain, would you be where they were or would you be in school right now? If they were to get interviewed about their past, what would they say. Memories and our feelings are vital to who we are. The celebrity might claim to be you and be a ble to tell personal stories about you. So Even though Dennett continues to have basic function such as breathing and a heart beat, his trust testament to himself, which included his personality, intelligence, and desires are not shown through Hubert. If HubertShow MoreRelatedDaniel Dennett s Where Am I?1409 Words   |  6 PagesIn the essay Where am I?, Daniel Dennett’s uses a fictional account of a series of brain and body surgeries to illustrate various philosophical views of personal identity and the nature of consciousness. His tale begins by describing a top-secret government mission where he is tasked at retrieving a device that emits a special kind of radiation that completely destroys brain tissue (and no other bodily tissue). This device is stuck in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In an effort to preserve Dennett’s brain duringRead MoreAnalysis Of Daniel Dennett s Where Am I 1509 Words   |  7 PagesIn this Daniel Dennett’s essay â€Å"Where Am I?† Dennett tackles the difference between mind, body, and a person’s identity. In his story, Dennett has his brain removed and preserved in a vat. His body stays alive, and radio transmitters make it so he can still function. Dennett starts to question who and where â€Å"he† is. Though Dennett has several strong ideas, he isn’t correct in everything he suggests. When Dennett goes to view his brain, his first thought is that he is outside of the vat, lookingRead MoreAnalysis Of Daniel Dennett s Where Am I Essay1534 Words   |  7 Pagesother to function, but where do they join together to form a unique individual. To what extent do the mind and body bridge together to form a unique individual? 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Essay1119 Words   |  5 PagesOne potential worry that one might have upon reading Daniel Dennetts Where Am I?, is about the complications that might arise from Dennett categorizing his brain, who he calls Yorick, and his body, who he calls Hamlet, as two distinct entities. One may contend that the brain and the body are in fact only one entity, connected much in the same way that other peoples brains and bodies seem to be connectedÂâ€"however that may beÂâ€"with the exception of an unusually large temporal gap between DennettsRead MoreAn Extremely Interesting Thought Experiment1677 Words   |  7 PagesAn extremely interesting thought experiment conducted by philosopher Daniel Dennett is used to stimulate philosophical possibilities about personal identity. Dennett is to retrieve a radioactive w arhead, and must have his brain taken out for the period of the excursion due to the possibility of damaging his brain tissues. Upon wakening from the surgery, the underlying question appears for the first time: â€Å"Where am I?† – In the brain, or out here in my body, looking at my brain? Throughout the experimentRead MoreI Can Identify A Self1145 Words   |  5 PagesI can identify a â€Å"self† that was me at birth, is me now, and will be me at death. Hume explains self as this; â€Å"we can track our changes throughout our mental life from day to day, and this gives us a sense of connectedness that we call ‘self.’† Hume argued that all there is to ‘self’ is one perception after another. Although I do not have an awareness of when I was born, my first awareness was my 6th birthday and the one person that I wanted to be there did not show, needless to say I was a veryRead MoreA Dialogue Between Descartes and Me1851 Words à ‚  |  7 PagesDescartes: Well thanks for the compliment, Matt! So, you what is it that you wanted to speak with me about? 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