(September 26, 2014 at 8:15 pm)bennyboy Wrote: Keeping in mind that both Dennett and Dawkins are philosophers, I'd say philosophers DO engage the public very much, and with good benefit. In fact, if you list most of the top atheists in the world, they are very much engaged in the philosophies of mind, and of how to correctly establish what should be considered "real." And many are also scientists.
To my knowledge, Dawkins is not a philosopher. Doctor of Philosophy is simply a broad title in this case. Dawkins earned his degree in zoology. I will concede that much of Dawkins' current contribution is philosophical in nature so I can't quibble too much.
That aside, you are correct in citing Dennett; however, he is just one of the few I mentioned. I am positing the idea that philosophers en masse descend from the ivory tower and engage the public. Citing exceptions that already do this buttresses my point that by and large philosophers are preoccupied in minute technical details of philosophy, an impractical activity considering the world at large regardless of its importance to the field.
