We need to let our children grow up to face the world armed with knowledge, with much more knowledge than we ourselves had at their age. It is scary, but the alternative is worse.
Daniel DennettRead
Human freedom is not an illusion; it is an objective phenomenon, distinct from all other biological conditions and found in only one species - us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human freedom is a real and unique aspect of our existence as a species.
In this quote, Daniel Dennett emphasizes the genuine nature of human freedom, arguing that it is a tangible characteristic that sets humans apart from other biological beings. He asserts that unlike other species, humans possess a unique form of freedom that is intrinsic to our existence, challenging any notion that this freedom is merely a figment of our imagination.
Themes
FreedomHumanityExistencePhenomenonPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of human existence, this quote can highlight the unique aspect of human freedom.
More from Daniel Dennett
All quotes βPhilosophers are never quite sure what they are talking about - about what the issues really are - and so often it takes them rather a long time to recognize that someone with a somewhat different approach (or destination, or starting point) is making a contribution.
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Words have a genealogy and it's easier to trace the evolution of a single word than the evolution of a language.
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Some philosophers can't bear to say simple things, like "Suppose a dog bites a man." They feel obliged instead to say, "Suppose a dog d bites a man m at time t," thereby demonstrating their unshakable commitment to logical rigor, even though they don't go on to manipulate any formulae involving d, m, and t.
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As every scuba diver knows, panic is your worst enemy: when it hits, your mind starts to thrash and you are likely to do something really stupid and self-destructive.
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To speak for others is to first silence those in whose name we speak
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It is only the modern that ever becomes old-fashioned.
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It is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is greatest, when the cross is heaviest.
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The battle between good and evil is endlessly fascinating because we are participants every day.
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