Daniel Dennet's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon published in 2006 was only one on the long list of books published in the past few years, but the difference with Dennett, both in his lectures and books, is the calm demeanor he brings into his writing. Dennett's books are the most accessible in tone and content, and this book offers one of the smoothest entry into the new atheist literature.
The Thesis of Breaking the Spell
Dennett's book attempts to show that "religion is natural as opposed to supernatural, that it is a human phenomenon composed of events, organisms, objects, structures, patterns, and the like that all obey the laws of physics or biology, and hence do not involve miracles" (25, Italics in original). Dennett stays on point throughout the book, never diverging without intent.
On the whole, Dennett's arguments for this thesis are sound, and the focus of the book is to create a workable theory for scientific study. Simultaneously, Dennett pushes to make religious people reading his book question their own fundamental values and precepts, and frequently challenges the reader to push the envelope on how much they can question.
Dennett's Views on Religion
Daniel Dennett is a self-described bright, and his preference for a non-religious lifestyle shows in the book. While admirably balanced, the occasional barbed remark, such as "If you insist [the Bible answers all questions on life], you are thumbing your nose at the whole inquiry. (Good-bye, and I hope to see you back again someday)" (61). At points like this, Dennett's humor comes across more as snark.
This complaint is nothing new against the book, however. In the first thirty seconds of the video "The Four Horsemen" Dennett describes that despite making concessions in his first draft of "Breaking the Spell", which he was told was far to aggressive, the book was still criticized for the harshness of tone.
It is important to note, however, that this aggressiveness is at its worst in the first part of the book, and disappears for the majority of the text. Throughout the second and third parts of the book, Dennett's points are sound, and his tone much more conversational. The pity is that many readers may close the book after part one, probably the weakest part of the book, and miss out on the rest.
The Writing of Breaking the Spell
Dennett's writing is largely excellent, with ideas expounded fully and the right blend of humorous analogy for more complex ideas. However, at times Dennett's attempt at creating a catchy meme, like his distinction between belief and belief in belief causes unnecessary confusion for the sake of a witty phrase. This is never enough to put the book down, but enough to cause a groan at a philosopher's love of words.
The best parts of the book are in the analogies and examples he brings into the story, such as the the statement that, "sperm are like email spam, so cheap to make and deliver that a vanishingly small return rate is sufficient to underwrite the project" (69) or "the God who rewards goodness in heaven bears a striking resemblance to the hero of the popular song, "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" (280).
Dennett's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon is a fascinating argument for the natural origins of religion. Dennett may stumble on the odd occasion, but the book remains a solid read for anyone interested in the nature of religion, where it came from, and where it may be headed in the future.
Sources
Dennett, Daniel. Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. New York: Penguin, 2006.
ISBN 978-0-14-303833-7
"The Four Horsemen" Google Video, 2007.
Frank Yeats - Frank Yeats is a graduate of West Texas A&M University with a degree in English. He writes plays, short stories and poetry. His long-term ...
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