In ''Breaking the Spell'' Daniel C. Dennett explores
how the great ideas of religion have enthralled us for
thousands of years - and whether we could (or should)
break free. What is religion and how did it evolve? Is
it the product of blind evolutionary instinct or of
rational choice? Is the only way to live a good life
through religion? Few forces in the world are as potent
as religion: it comforts people in their suffering and
inspires them to both magnificent and terrible deeds. In
this provocative and timely book, Daniel C. Dennett
seeks to uncover the origins of religion and discusses
how and why different faiths have shaped so many lives,
whether religion is an addiction or a genuine human
need, and even whether it is good for our health.
Arguing passionately for the need to understand this
multifaceted phenomenon, ''Breaking the Spell'' offers a
truly original - and comprehensive - explanation for
faith. ''Packed with a mass of intriguing detail and
anecdote ...witty and clear prose''. (''Observer'').
''He's the ''good cop'' among religion's critics
(Richard Dawkins is the ''bad cop''), but he still makes
people angry''. (''New Statesman''). ''Dennett writes
with brio and humour''.(''Telegraph''). ''Elegant,
sharp-minded ...clear-eyed but courteous''.
(''Economist''). Daniel Dennett is one of the most
original and provocative thinkers in the world. A
brilliant polemicist and philosopher, he is famous for
challenging unexamined orthodoxies, and an outspoken
supporter of the Brights movement. His books include
''Brainstorms'', ''Brainchildren'', ''Elbow Room'',
''Consciousness Explained'', ''Darwin's Dangerous Idea''
and ''Freedom Evolves''. |
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