Daniel Dennett

The collection of keynotes by Daniel Dennett are focused on evolutionary biology and cognitive science and the philosopher, writer and University Professor is well-known for his boundary-pushing ideas.

He holds a B.A. in Philosophy, which he received in 1963 from Harvard, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford that he completed in 1965. After graduation, he taught at U.C. Irvine until 1971, when he transferred to Tufts University. He is also the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy and works with the Center for Cognitive Studies, where he is the Co-Founder.

Dennett is an outspoken advocate for secularism and atheism and consistently speaks to the belief that free will and human consciousness are constructed from physical processes occurring in the brain. He has over 300 scholarly articles and countless books, including 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' and 'The Mind's I.' These works have achieved critical acclaim while also inciting a great deal of controversy. Despite this, his prolific body of work has earned him many awards, including two Guggenheim Fellowships as well as being named 'Humanist of the Year' in 2004 by the American Humanist Association.