Dennett’s views are nuanced, but central to them is his idea of heterophenomenology: the idea that “how things seem to me” is a perfectly real phenomenon (one which is constituted by our self-reports of how things [allegedly] seem to us, and other behavior which is apparently caused by such seemings), which it is our task (as philosophers of mind) to explain—but our explanation of which need not include anything like the entities (allegedly, apparently) experienced by the subject.
Under this view, “qualia” is taken to be a description of a certain aspect of our experiences of the world. What we do not take as given, however, is any notion that our explanation of “qualia” must ultimately include anything like qualia. (And, indeed, Dennett’s explanation does not—he spends, in fact, considerable effort on demonstrating that no sensible explanation of “qualia” will include any qualia.)
(As for the explanation itself—I really can’t do justice to it in a comment, or even a post. I do recommend Consciousness Explained, and also Brainstorms; they’re fun reading, even if you’re ultimately unconvinced by some or all of Dennett’s arguments.)
Dennett does not present himself as explaining “qualia” in any sense, not even a merely heterophenomenological sense.
Under heterophenomeonological investigation, an ordinary person will not claim to have “a red quale” or “a pain quale”. A qualiaphilic investigator might regard those as reports of qualia, but Dednnett is no qualiaphile.
I can see how there could be a Dennett-alike philosopher who objects to “thick” qualia but not thin ones. However, the Dennett we have wants to “ride roughshod”, not make fine distinctions.
Dennett’s views are nuanced, but central to them is his idea of heterophenomenology: the idea that “how things seem to me” is a perfectly real phenomenon (one which is constituted by our self-reports of how things [allegedly] seem to us, and other behavior which is apparently caused by such seemings), which it is our task (as philosophers of mind) to explain—but our explanation of which need not include anything like the entities (allegedly, apparently) experienced by the subject.
Under this view, “qualia” is taken to be a description of a certain aspect of our experiences of the world. What we do not take as given, however, is any notion that our explanation of “qualia” must ultimately include anything like qualia. (And, indeed, Dennett’s explanation does not—he spends, in fact, considerable effort on demonstrating that no sensible explanation of “qualia” will include any qualia.)
(As for the explanation itself—I really can’t do justice to it in a comment, or even a post. I do recommend Consciousness Explained, and also Brainstorms; they’re fun reading, even if you’re ultimately unconvinced by some or all of Dennett’s arguments.)
Dennett does not present himself as explaining “qualia” in any sense, not even a merely heterophenomenological sense.
Under heterophenomeonological investigation, an ordinary person will not claim to have “a red quale” or “a pain quale”. A qualiaphilic investigator might regard those as reports of qualia, but Dednnett is no qualiaphile.
I can see how there could be a Dennett-alike philosopher who objects to “thick” qualia but not thin ones. However, the Dennett we have wants to “ride roughshod”, not make fine distinctions.