Dr. Daniel Dennett - Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

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5 жыл бұрын

This lecture was recorded on February 26, 2006 as part of the Distinguished Science Lecture Series hosted by Michael Shermer and presented by The Skeptics Society in California (1992-2015).
One of the greatest thinkers of our age tackles one of the most important questions of our time: why people believe in God and how religion shapes our lives and our future. In this lecture, based on his new book of the same title, Dr. Dennett shows that for the vast majority of people there is nothing more important than religion. It is an integral part of their marriage, child rearing, and community. Dennett takes a hard look at this phenomenon and asks: Where does our devotion to God come from and what purpose does it serve? Is religion a blind evolutionary compulsion or a rational choice? In a spirited investigation that ranges widely through history, philosophy, and psychology, Dennett explores how organized religion evolved from folk beliefs and why it is such a potent force today. Deftly and lucidly, he contends that the ‘belief in belief’ has fogged any attempt to rationally consider the existence of God and the relationship between divinity and human need.
Dr. Daniel Dennett is a professor and director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, and the author of the highly acclaimed Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, Consciousness Explained, and Freedom Evolves.
www.skeptic.com/lectures/brea...
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Пікірлер: 31

@chemquests 3 жыл бұрын

One of my intellectual heroes

@Rico-Suave_ Ай бұрын

I loved Dr. Daniel Dennett, very sad to hear about his passing, I've would have loved to meet him, he was my absolute favorite, an intellectual giant, a legend, true sage, heard he was also very kind gentle person, huge loss to civilization, I will watch tons of his lectures in the next few days in his memory 1:18:51

@skepticmagazine Ай бұрын

He was one of the sweetest, kindest people we’ve ever worked with. -The Skeptics Society Team

@rhondah1587 5 жыл бұрын

Nice to see this again. Thanks.

@acetate909 5 жыл бұрын

Classic Dennett lecture. Thank you so much Michael this is awesome.

@neclark08 Ай бұрын

...I have learned today (April 22, 2024) that David Dennett passed-away.

@voyagersa22 Ай бұрын

6:32 😂😂😂😂 “ok ! And that’s forward “😂😂

@xaviergamer5907 5 жыл бұрын

Loved it.

@firitus 5 жыл бұрын

This was such a great lecture, I am happy you’ve finally made them available for everyone to watch them on KZfaq, very nice👏👏👏

@jfabiani 5 жыл бұрын

Hoping Dan is well.

@lawrenceburns768 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Now I want to read your book.

@jessewallace12able 4 жыл бұрын

I thought there was going to be a lecture by Dr. Dennet.

@kikibara1 3 жыл бұрын

But There is…??

@ULTD8 5 жыл бұрын

enjoying the martian perspective as of 25:00

@MrGillespieable 3 жыл бұрын

Ohh Michael

@ajay54321 Жыл бұрын

14:26 dennett

@davidwilkie9551 5 жыл бұрын

I've watched this video before and couldn't add anything, but the domestication concept should be kept in mind when researching the evolutionary record of the development of Humanity and Agriculture, and E=mc^2 .., and why the Big Bang Theory is a theologically domesticated, controversial idea, not even wrong. And some people unbelieve in the unbelievable, no going outside the context of belief +/-?.. which is why the unreligon of "create the controversy" works so well on domesticated unthinking denialists, belivers in undeserved Titles, empty mottos, slogans and word bites.., to keep them confined in ignorance of actual knowledge. An outsider, the "wild type" with a blank slate analysis technique, can find the +/- values of the concepts in any PMI study, religious / cultural norms and so on, in the (totalitarian/universal) Totality. The quality of the talk has remained invaluable for the 13years it's been "out there".

@scottmayers2438 4 жыл бұрын

Side note Regarding "Stairway to Heaven", they may have had a potential backward message at some prior time. It WAS a gimmick in use a few times before. Pink Floyd's The Wall, for instance, has one on "Empty Spaces". I placed it in a reel-to-reel and physically reversed the tape and it says: "Congratulations, you have found the secret message. Send your answer in care of (our) Pink to ????(some address)" If I was engineering Led Zepplin, I might have not placed a backwards recording directly on Stairway to Heaven but to "The Battle of Evermore" with a message on "Bring it back,....bring it back....oh now oh now.....bring it back..." [I never sensed any backward recordings on these but it COULD have been possible to have had them on some earlier recordings. But anything I've heard from Evangelicals were simply delusions.]

@notanemoprog Жыл бұрын

Katie Melua FTW!

@Greef246 5 жыл бұрын

Id like to see an up to date graph of 17:50

@Icelander00 3 жыл бұрын

Hagia Sofia is Mosque Again.....

@MrGillespieable 3 жыл бұрын

Micheal

@notanemoprog Жыл бұрын

Ooooh one would NOT feel free to make the joke at @18:20 today. Democrat Party truly wrecked America beyond repair

@PrivateAccountXSG 5 жыл бұрын

After his hard headed position about free will, I now discount everything this man says...

@chemquests 3 жыл бұрын

Compatiblism is a debatable topic; one shouldn’t be discounted for entertaining a philosophical position you don’t hold. I would agree with you if it was a baseless irrational perspective.

@ManForToday 5 жыл бұрын

Genetic fallacy from start to finish. Try again.

@MrCBTman 5 жыл бұрын

Wrong. Try again.

@lenn939 4 жыл бұрын

Explaining the origins of religion is not a genetic fallacy in itself. It would only be one if you tried to use such explanations as formal arguments against the validity of religion. I haven’t seen Dennett do that.

@chemquests 3 жыл бұрын

Religion had to start somehow & it’s appropriate to study it as a natural phenomenon since it clearly exists naturally among humans. The contrapositive example would be if most people didn’t have such a tradition but particular folks that had a unique experience.