Breaking the Spell

Rarely do I read any book by anyone who admits to being a philosopher, but I made an exception for “Breaking the Spell” by Daniel C. Dennett. The subject matter drew me in and clever and insightful little jewels keep me going.
“Breaking the Spell” is an attempt to define and study religion from a scientific prospective; What Dennett calls ‘a belief in belief.’ The book is not always easy reading, but the subject is extremely important, now more than ever. Because religions are shaping our world we must examine how and why people believe in supernatural entities.
I’ll share one of his conclusions to entice you to read the book. Just as homosexuals took the label ‘gay’ to describe themselves, he suggests that non-believers take on the label ‘bright.’ Calling ourselves brights snuffs out the knee-jerk reaction to words like atheist or agnostic.
However, he claims this does not mean that the religious are dim, but that because they believe in the supernatural, they could call themselves ‘super.’ Respectful examination is important if we ever intend to find our way out of the religious fog that world politics have become lost in. So, bright it is. Super waits for a claim to be laid.
Dennett also uses clever examples and comparisons as he looks at religion from the value-neutral scientific perspective, so the book isn’t as dry as it might seem at first glance. I am tempted to quote one of his passages, but taking anything out of context won’t do justice to his intricate constructions.
After I have time to digest his thoughts, I’ll write more.
Nancy Sherer