---
abstract: 'Sydney Shoemaker notes that my "avoidance of the standard philosophical terminology for discussing such matters" often creates problems for me; philosophers have a hard time figuring out what I am saying and what I am denying. My refusal to play ball with my colleagues is deliberate, of course, since I view the standard philosophical terminology as worse than useless--a major obstacle to progress since it consists of so many errors trapped in the seductively lucid amber of tradition: "obvious truths" that are simply false, broken-backed distinctions, and other cognitive illusions. I want to shift the perspective of philosophy of mind, and for that task using the standard terminology would be counterproductive. Fortunately, the inevitable communication-difficulties my policy provokes are forced into the open by occasions such as this constructive confrontation, permitting me to clarify my shocking message. I am grateful to Shoemaker, and to Michael Tye, Frank Jackson and David Rosenthal, for their vigorous and sympathetic reactions to my book.'
altloc:
  - http://www.tufts.edu/as/cogstud/papers/msgisno.htm
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  - family: Dennett
    given: Daniel C
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date: 1993
date_type: published
datestamp: 1998-04-14
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lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:53:47
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metadata_visibility: show
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number: 4
pagerange: 889-931
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publication: Philosophy & Phenomenological Research.
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rev_number: 8
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status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:26:14
subjects:
  - phil-mind
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title: 'The Message is: There is no Medium'
type: journalp
userid: 38
volume: 53
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