Skeptic
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.
https://www.skeptic.com/lectures/breaking-the-spell/
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Loved it.
Classic Dennett lecture. Thank you so much Michael this is awesome.
This was such a great lecture, I am happy you’ve finally made them available for everyone to watch them on YouTube, very nice👏👏👏
enjoying the martian perspective as of 25:00
Id like to see an up to date graph of 17:50
Hoping Dan is well.
Genetic fallacy from start to finish. Try again.
Nice to see this again. Thanks.
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".
After his hard headed position about free will, I now discount everything this man says…
Thank you. Now I want to read your book.
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.]
Wtf is this? Stupid salesman sell bulshit
I thought there was going to be a lecture by Dr. Dennet.
Ohh Michael
Micheal
Hagia Sofia is Mosque Again…..
One of my intellectual heroes
14:26 dennett
Katie Melua FTW!
Ooooh one would NOT feel free to make the joke at @18:20 today. Democrat Party truly wrecked America beyond repair
…I have learned today (April 22, 2024) that David Dennett passed-away.
Israel’s conflict with Iran is a strategic distraction to divert attention off of the Genocide of indigenous people of Palestine, USA, Engnd, Fr and Grm are funding billions to support this Genocide,
If the genocide is all paid for by US tax dollars and all the missiles, bombs and ammunition are given by the US then how is this not an American genocide via proxy Israel?
Basically Israel is ethically cleansing the Palestinians so Zionist Israelis can steal their land. IDF Zionist Israelis are literally barging into Palestinians homes then shooting them point blank so an Israeli can come move in.
Never Forget that we witnessed USA pay $14 billion dollars to Israel to continue their Genocide.
Millions and millions and millions of dollars worth of propaganda and payoffs to politicians to mislead the public against the genocidal occupation of Israel of the indigenous Palestinians
Helping and supporting Israel is exactly the same as helping and supporting Hitler commit genocide, only difference is the victims are brown,
No one will ever listen to the west talk about human rights while their hands are full of blood from the Palestinian genocide
4 times 20 equals 80, so 81+ missiles to the exact same location guarded by same battery would easily defeat the not so Iron Dome 😊
Pakistan needs to sell nuclear weapons to all its allies to help stop the genocide in Palestine because the western governments don’t give a fck about Muslims murdered and starved
Biden and rest of these bribed politicians don’t care, they are getting toooo much money from Israel which Israel got from the bills these crooked politicians approved as Aid to Israel. Also this is the real reason they don’t want anyone else to have nuclear weapons so they can commit genocides, regime toppling, stealing oil and other resources and land without any retaliation
The war is not coming home to the perpetrators and funders , only this matters, when the perpetrators and funder lose someone they love then and only then they will stop the genocide
The genocide is All paid for by the US and England, all weapons and ammunition is continuously supplied by the US and England, basically makes this a US genocide perpetrated by Israel
We need to identify who these IDF soldiers are and arrest them and seize all their assets when they comeback to our countries a after committing genocide
Shame shame on all the Muslims and Muslim countries for allowing a tiny tiny nation to commit genocide and like 100 Muslim majority countries put together could not stop it and are begging western countries to tell the new Hitler to stop the genocide
Palestinian have been dehumanized for over 75 years and are now being ethically cleansed to steal their land, this is genocide and is being paid for by US tax dollars and US weapons.
I am a staunch Democrat voter, always voted for the Democrat party ticket, but this year I will not vote for anyone who supports this Israeli-US genocide in Palestine. Yes it’s 100 percent US genocide when it’s 100 percent paid for with US taxes are all US missiles and bombs.
It’s the same as protesting against Hitler and Nazi regime, they absolutely don’t care because they are safe and protected, historically they only care once they are in real danger
Allah is obviously not helping them for over 75 years. So stop praying and help them yourself
Wars are the best method to steal tax dollars, crooked politicians (redundant) approve billions of dollars to Israel and in return Israel lobby pay or Donate portion of US aid dollars to the crooked politicians
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
6:32 😂😂😂😂 “ok ! And that’s forward “😂😂