Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

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More About This Book

Overview

For all the thousands of books that have been written about religion, few until this one have attempted to examine it scientifically: to ask why—and how—it has shaped so many lives so strongly. Is religion a product of blind evolutionary instinct or rational choice? Is it truly the best way to live a moral life? Ranging through biology, history, and psychology, Daniel C. Dennett charts religion's evolution from “wild” folk belief to “domesticated” dogma. Not an antireligious screed but an unblinking look beneath the veil of orthodoxy, Breaking the Spell will be read and debated by believers and skeptics alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
Faith-based initiatives; evolution vs. intelligent design; the right to life vs. the right to choose; gay marriage; international terrorism: Even if you're not a believer, you can ignore religion only at your own risk. In this provocative book, philosopher Daniel C. Dennett asserts that religion is a cultural phenomenon shaped and governed by the processes of evolution and natural selection; succinctly stated, we are hard-wired to believe. At a time of ever-widening schism between rationalists and believers, Breaking the Spell offers an analysis that acknowledges the power of faith without relinquishing the claims of reason.
Publishers Weekly
In his characteristically provocative fashion, Dennett, author of Darwin's Dangerous Idea and director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, calls for a scientific, rational examination of religion that will lead us to understand what purpose religion serves in our culture. Much like E.O. Wilson (In Search of Nature), Robert Wright (The Moral Animal), and Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene), Dennett explores religion as a cultural phenomenon governed by the processes of evolution and natural selection. Religion survives because it has some kind of beneficial role in human life, yet Dennett argues that it has also played a maleficent role. He elegantly pleads for religions to engage in empirical self-examination to protect future generations from the ignorance so often fostered by religion hiding behind doctrinal smoke screens. Because Dennett offers a tentative proposal for exploring religion as a natural phenomenon, his book is sometimes plagued by generalizations that leave us wanting more ("Only when we can frame a comprehensive view of the many aspects of religion can we formulate defensible policies for how to respond to religions in the future"). Although much of the ground he covers has already been well trod, he clearly throws down a gauntlet to religion. (Feb. 6) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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From The Critics
On a crusade against crusades, Dennett (philosophy, Tufts Univ.; codirector, Ctr. for Cognitive Studies; Consciousness Explained) wants to save the world from religious fanaticism and figures that the best way to do so is to "break the spell" of its supernatural pretensions by giving a purely naturalistic, evolutionary account of the development of religion. Although Dennett specializes in philosophy, not biology, he is no newcomer to evolutionary theory; in Darwin's Dangerous Idea (1995), he took on the role of a modern T.H. Huxley and popularized sociobiological accounts of distinctly human phenomena such as language and morality. Here he reports in clear and vigorous prose on cutting-edge evolutionary explanations for various religious beliefs and rituals and in the concluding chapters makes some provocatively illiberal political suggestions. But Dennett can also take on the strident, self-righteous tone of the zealot, and the hypotheses he presents, though ingenious, are too conjectural to dispel the charm of the sacred. Still, his reputation and the timeliness of his topic would seem to make this book a necessary purchase for most public and academic libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/05.]-Charles Seymour, Wayland Baptist Univ. Lib., Plainview, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780143038337
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 2/6/2007
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 464
  • Sales rank: 152,504
  • Product dimensions: 5.56 (w) x 8.48 (h) x 1.04 (d)

Meet the Author

Daniel C. Dennett is University Professor, professor of philosophy, and co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. His books include Consciousness Explained and Darwin's Dangerous Idea, a finalist for the National Book Award.

Table of Contents

1 Breaking which spell? 3
2 Some questions about science 29
3 Why good things happen 54
4 The roots of religion 97
5 Religion, the early days 116
6 The evolution of stewardship 153
7 The invention of team spirit 175
8 Belief in belief 200
9 Toward a buyer's guide to religions 249
10 Morality and religion 278
11 Now what do we do? 308
App. A The new replicators 341
App. B Some more questions about science 359
App. C The bellboy and the lady named Tuck 379
App. D Kim Philby as a real case of indeterminacy of radical interpretation 387
Customer Reviews
Average Rating 3.5
( 25 )

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 4, 2010

    Very intellectually fulfilling

    This is the most intellectually fulfilling book on religion that I've ever read. If Dennet's writing seems too difficult at times, it's only because he condenses so many complicated ideas into so few pages. I found the passages on idea evolution (or "memetics") particularly interesting and deserving of further inquiry. Out of all the worthy books being written by atheists today, this is by far my first recommendation.

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  • Posted March 28, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    A Dissapointment

    This book was a bit of a disappointment for me. It fails as a "scientist seeks to understand God" book. I would sooner recommend Kenneth Miller's "Finding Darwin's God", which, unfortunately I could not find on this site. It is about a Christian sientist (a biologist) trying to meld science and religion as many have tried before. His writing style is good for laymen and laywomen who do not understand scientific jargon. Mr. Dennet was not so fortunate.

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  • Posted November 29, 2008

    The Underlying Theme is Policy and Politics

    This is the first book that I have read by Mr. Dennett and let me say at the outset that I am thankful that there are authors like him that are willing to take the time to "circle" a subject and view it from several different scientific, sociological and anthropological perspectives. This book is not a harsh criticism of religion but an attempt, as I understand it, to foster a dialogue in order to determine what policies, if any, should be carried out in the future to curb potential threats from religious fanatics. I for one do not wish to live under a theocracy; I do not want to be told what to think - so here is where I must voice my concern regarding Mr. Dennett's references to making "policy" decisions: someone other than the individual or family would be making the call - making a value judgment for them. What is harmful, what is good and what is bad with regards to religion would all be decided by others. Policies and laws already exist - harmful behaviors have consequences. Where would the new "policies" end? Religion is not what I would call a "natural phenomenon" but only one of the many behavioral traits of the natural phenomenon known as the human animal. As I see it, the human mind is the last refuge - the place where one can dream and reflect, pray or meditate without outside interference - I think this is why there is such a reluctance by many (as Mr. Dennett notes)to even begin to try to understand why people believe what they believe.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 17, 2006

    Longwinded and self-important

    I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, and soon after had the chance to see Dennett in person at a lecture at Caltech. As another reviewer here reflected, I wanted to like this book, and have long been interested in some of the ideas its based on. Unfortunately, Dennett's circular logic and rambling writing (and speaking) style left me more frustrated than illuminated, and for someone who argues against unsubstantiated faith, I felt he left science far behind in many of his assertions. The topic itself is worth a second star, but I would recommend choosing another author.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 16, 2006

    A great idea in need of a better writing style

    While I appreciated many of the points raised in this book, the author's idiosyncratic writing style too often became a barrier to a clear understanding of what he was trying to convey. I think this topic deserves more attention, perhaps by an author less inclined to derail the reader in frequent asides and parenthetical side-trips. I REALLY WANTED to like this book, because I wholeheartedly agree with the premise. Perhaps I will glean more by selectively re-reading a section or two. It's a complicated subject, to be sure one that demands a writer who can stay on point. I found 'How We Believe' by Michael Shermer, to be a much better introduction to the state of current thought and study on this subject, though it's focus is slightly more narrow. In the end, I learned some new things, but I can't avoid the feeling that there was much more here that was simply hidden in the turbulent prose.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 24, 2006

    Provocative and cutting edge

    Daniel Dennett has written what may turn out to be one of the most significant works on the religious phenonmenon offered as a point of departure. The book does not succeed at all levels and in all areas, but that is hardly a damning assessment, for what he does succeed in doing is to break down the wall that many religous authorities wish to construct around their faith--wishing to apply their morality to the secular world but remain immune from criticism from that world. Probably the most effective portion of the book concerns his investigation of unquestioning faith in the correctness of someone's moral teachings and the inherent immorality of this position--an argument at once shocking and effective. The book is a little weak at the end, particularly the last chapter, but his central thesis, that religion deserves our attention and study as a natural phenomenon using a scientific approach to explain its pervasiveness and whether it is good or bad for humankind is a strong one and one that he effectively proves, sometimes to the point of overkill.

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