In the splendid philosophical starry sky, Daniel Dennett has become a dazzling leader in the contemporary philosophy of mind. His works, such as "The Explanation of Consciousness", "Intentional Standpoint", "The Evolution of Freedom", "Intuition Pumps and Other Thinking Tools", etc., seem to be the key to a new era of philosophy, not only broadening the territory of philosophical research, but also in academic circles. The world has left an eternal mark. "From Bacteria to Bach and Back Again" is the crystallization of his wisdom. It is like a grand symphony, playing a magnificent chapter on the origin of the human mind. It also provides a profound reflection on life, consciousness, culture and science.
A particularly sharp sword
Where do human consciousness and minds come from, and what is their essence? This question is like a sharp sword, piercing the armor of traditional cognition and colliding fiercely with our common sense. For centuries, the subject has been a magnet for psychologists, physicists, poets and philosophers from around the world. They are eager to unravel the mystery of how the human mind has given rise to its unparalleled creativity, imagination, and unique ability to explain the world. Darwin's followers have long aspired to explain how consciousness, language and culture emerged through natural selection, opening a promising path to explanations of the origins of the mind but often ending in confusion and controversy.
In the past, people generally accepted a view called "Cartesian dualism". This theory firmly believes that people have both a physical body and an elusive mind. Although the two influence each other, they are fundamentally different. The body is governed by natural laws, while the mind seems to be in a supernatural realm, whose contents and methods of operation are often known only to the individual.
It is this deep-rooted dualistic concept that constitutes the "Cartesian gravity" by which we understand consciousness and the mind. Just as the earth's gravity is inescapable, the influence of Descartes' dualism is everywhere, deeply penetrating into our daily language and thinking patterns. Even in the field of science, this idea is still everywhere, causing scientists to repeatedly hit the wall when exploring the mysteries of the mind.
Dennett was not bound by this dilemma. He stood at the forefront of science and bravely challenged the authority of Cartesian dualism. He pointed out that this theory has major flaws in explaining the interaction between body and mind, and can easily lead to mysticism and hinder our in-depth exploration of consciousness and mind.
Dennett is well known for his unique insights into consciousness, free will, religion, and evolutionary biology. Along with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, he is known as the "Four Horsemen of New Atheism". Their thoughts are like the swords of the Knights, pointing directly at the barriers of traditional beliefs. And in the arsenal of this philosophical knight, there is a particularly sharp "sword" - the "cutting sky hook" in his mouth. So, what is a "sky hook"? This is actually a vivid metaphor carefully crafted by Dennett to describe those man-made concepts cleverly woven by some philosophers. It is like the Bodhisattva who helped Sun Wukong slay demons and demons in "Journey to the West". Simplifying complex philosophical issues makes the path to truth seem smoother.
Dennett used the courage to "cut off the sky hook" to challenge these seemingly indestructible philosophical concepts and brought a refreshing trend to the philosophical world. In "From Bacteria to Bach and Back Again", he used the principles of Darwin's theory of evolution to paint a magnificent picture of the evolution of the mind. From tiny bacteria to complex plants and animals, to the pinnacle of human culture - Bach's music, all of these can be included within the framework of the theory of evolution and be reasonably explained. If Dennett's theory is true, then the human heart or mind will no longer be a supernatural being, but one of the products of natural evolution, an intermediate link in the long evolution of the universe.
At first glance, the words "bacteria" and "Bach" are like two parallel lines with no intersection. But under Dennett's wonderful writing, the two are miraculously intertwined, forming a magnificent picture that spans the worlds of biology and art.Bacteria, as ancient traces of the source of life on earth, symbolize the simplicity and purity of the origin of life; and Bach, a giant of Western classical music, whose music creation is the crystallization of human wisdom and creativity, has reached the peak of civilization. From bacteria in the microscopic world to Bach in the macroscopic art palace, this transition is not only a vivid depiction of the evolution of life, but also a profound metaphor for the evolutionary trajectory of the human mind from simplicity to complexity, from primitive chaos to advanced civilization.
The word "come back" is like a pointer of time, leading us back to the source of the mind and pondering its origin and evolution. It is clear that Dennett, with this unique perspective, is trying to lead us to reexamine the mystery of the human mind—its nature, its origins, and the meaning it gives us. This is not only an in-depth exploration of the mind, but also a noble tribute to human civilization and creativity.
The Dance of Chemistry in the Microscopic World
In "From Bacteria to Bach and Back Again", the picture painted by Dennett for us comes to life: before the birth of life, the world was not chaotic, but had seasons, day and night. Grand melodies such as alternations and swells of tides. In addition, in the microscopic world, atoms and molecules also weave a unique chemical dance. These dances are like continuous exploration in the space of chemical possibilities, combining different elements to produce ever-changing differences. And time, like a picky director, filters out these differences, leaving only those "actors" who can continue to perform.
As the years go by, those chosen differences gradually weave a more complex dance of life. However, these newborn dancers are like puppets, without self-awareness and just react instinctively to the environment. They may be sensitive only to a "dynamite explosion" of upheaval, but not to the gentle touch of an ant.
Over these long years, the dance of life has gradually become more complex. Every cycle and every mutation paves the way for future dancers. Without those subtle differences in responses to the environment, there would be no world as complex as we see it today.
In the long process of evolution, there is no clear boundary to divide ignorance and knowledge. But Dennett cleverly divided organisms into four categories: one is "Darwinian organisms", although they have talents, they are not learners. They gradually adapt to the environment through natural selection and survival of the fittest; the other is "Skinnerian organisms" , have a certain degree of plasticity and can adapt to the environment through the learning ability of operant conditioned reflexes. Animals such as mice can learn to press buttons to obtain food or avoid electric shocks; the third is "Popper-like organisms", which have the ability to learn and also They can reduce the cost of survival through hypothesis trial and error. They can imagine an environmental model in their "brain", predict the consequences of their actions, and verify these predictions through practice - for example, chimpanzees use modeling and trial The behavior of getting food by mistake is a typical representative of this type of creature; the fourth is "Gregorian creature", which has rich thinking tools and can explore the infinite possibilities of the world.
As an outstanding representative of "Gregorian creatures", human beings not only use language to communicate, but also explore the nature of the world through inquiry and reflection. We are constantly searching for and representing the reasons that support the existence of life, extracting them from chaos and fixing them in our thinking. It is this pursuit that allows understanding, awareness, and self-awareness to be born and bloom in humans.
Dennett also introduced the theory of memes to explain the evolution of culture. He believes that memes are the basic units of cultural information, which are transmitted in human society through imitation, learning and dissemination. Competition and selection among memes drive the development and evolution of culture and shape the uniqueness of the human mind. Taking music as an example, Dennett provides a detailed analysis of the memetic structure in Bach's musical works. He pointed out that Bach's music is not only an art form, but also an expression and display of the mind. Through the spread and mutation of memes, Bach's musical works are continuously passed down and carried forward by future generations, forming a unique musical style and tradition.This process of cultural inheritance is an important aspect of the evolution of the human mind. As another example, some popular cultural concepts, customs, beliefs and other memes can also affect people's mental structure through social communication, thus affecting people's behavior and decision-making.
There is no doubt that this is a legendary story from chaos to awakening, a continuous evolution from unconsciousness to consciousness. Dennett warns us that in the course of evolution there is no clear line dividing ignorance from wisdom. However, due to the influence of "Cartesian gravity", people tend to fall into the trap of dualism and regard consciousness and psychology as mysterious and unpredictable phenomena.
Keep an open heart like the starry sky
Before the advent of the calculator, the kingdom of arithmetic was only open to those who were proficient in numbers. People often firmly believe that a good knowledge of arithmetic is the iron law of calculation. If you don't understand it, you need to study hard. However, the birth of the calculator, like a bolt of lightning, instantly shattered this old concept. It doesn't know arithmetic, but it gives precise answers based only on subtle changes in current and voltage. Look, the mastery and application of an ability does not have to rely on a deep understanding of it. Dennett humorously calls it "Turing's strange inversion of reasoning."
mentions Turing just to make it easier for us to understand Darwin's profound thoughts. The 19th-century historian Robert Mackenzie Beverley summed up the gist of Darwin's theory brilliantly: "By a strange inversion of reasoning, he seemed to hold that, of all the fruits of creative skill, absolute ignorance fully qualified Replace absolute wisdom." This is exactly the picture Darwin painted for us - intelligent humans do not originate from omniscient gods, but gradually evolve from the unconscious nature.
Dennett further pointed out that the reason why ordinary people feel mysterious about the phenomenon of consciousness and firmly believe that there must be a creator behind the world is because they unconsciously project human characteristics to the entire universe. The theory of evolution reveals the cruel truth to us: those creatures that failed to generate such expectations have either disappeared in the long river of history, or do not belong to humans at all, because they cannot carry out causal reasoning. And the birth of this expectation was just a random act among the first creatures. Therefore, evolution takes a long time to carve and perfect.
However, Dennett's thoughts are more profound than Hume's. In common sense, we always think that we have many qualities, but in fact, they do not really belong to us. For example, when you witness a dazzling lightning in the sky and close your eyes, you still feel that lightning is vividly visible. However, that lightning has long gone away, and there are no traces of it in your retinas and brain, but you clearly saw something. If that lightning is not in the sky, nor in the retina or brain, then it must exist deep in your soul. Since it only exists in your heart, others cannot see it. At this moment, Descartes’ dualism seems to be ringing in my ears again. But Dennett tells us bluntly that it is your perception, your judgment, your will, and your emotional response that make you mistakenly think that lightning exists in your subjective world.
The carving and evolution of the human mind is like a magnificent epic, which is both complex and long. We need to use our endless spirit of exploration and unremitting research perseverance to uncover its mystery. Dennett, the leader of wisdom, may have conveyed a profound revelation to us with the help of "From Germs to Bach and Back Again": When sailing in the ocean of the mind, we must keep an open mind. A heart like the starry sky and critical thinking are like sharp navigation lights, constantly illuminating and challenging the reefs and boundaries of cognition.
"From Bacteria to Bach and Back"
[US] Written by Daniel Dennett
Translated by Feng Wenjing and Guo Ruidong
China Textile Publishing House
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