Breaking the spell
religion as a natural phenomenon
by Daniel C. Dennett · first published 2004
64% recommend36% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Treats religion as a natural phenomenon, examining it through evolution and memes; useful for readers curious about the anthropology and cognitive science of belief, and for those seeking a philosophical take on atheism.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
For all the thousands of books that have been written about religion, few until this one have attempted to examine it scientifically: to ask why—and how—it has shaped so many lives so strongly. Is religion a product of blind evolutionary instinct or rational choice? Is it truly the best way to live a moral life? Ranging through biology, history, and psychology, Daniel C. Dennett charts religion's evolution from "wild" folk belief to "domesticated" dogma. Not an antireligious screed but an unblinking look beneath the veil of orthodoxy, Breaking the Spell will be read and debated by believers an
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2017–2025From Bacteria to Bach and Back
Daniel C. Dennett
Recommended by 6 · mentioned by 106 recommend · 10 mention6 recommend · 106 recommend
2008–2026The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
Recommended by 41 · mentioned by 10341 recommend · 103 mention41 recommend · 10341 recommend
2008–2025Darwin's dangerous idea
Daniel C. Dennett
Recommended by 16 · mentioned by 3016 recommend · 30 mention16 recommend · 3016 recommend
2007–2026The origin of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind
Julian Jaynes
Recommended by 52 · mentioned by 10652 recommend · 106 mention52 recommend · 10652 recommend
2007–2026Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter
Recommended by 505 · mentioned by 1,055505 recommend · 1,055 mention505 recommend · 1,055505 recommend
This may be the best book to read on the topic: Breaking the Spell by the philosopher Daniel C. Dennett. In short: religion is a meme (that has evolved over centuries). Crudely put, one can draw some parallels between religion "infecting" a human and a virus that makes…
on “AI-Generated Bible Art” ↗Well, let me recommend another book that directly addresses your interest in the anthropology of religion: Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Dan Dennett.
on “Ask HN: Which books do you consider real gems in your field of work/study?” ↗Daniel Dennett's "Breaking the Spell" is worth your time: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_the_Spell:_Religion...
on “Ask HN: Best books on the psychology of religion?” ↗…understand that folks can be exasperated by that movement, I just don't think that you can experience a 30% drop in religious affiliation, in a single generation, without annoying people.[1] I read his book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, which I found really interesting in that I'd never thought about religion as a concept being an evolutionary adaptive (or "hijacking") feature. I found it fascinating,…
on “Daniel Dennett has died” ↗…forget: A Devil's Chaplain Are You Living in a Computer Simulation Arguing About Gods Atheism - The Case Against God Atheist Manifest - In Defense of Atheism Atheist Universe Biblical Cosmology Breaking the Spell - Religion as a Natural Phenomenon Cognitive and neural foundations of religious belief Darwin's Dangerous Idea Evolution and the Meanings of Life Demon Haunted World - Science as a Candle in the Dark…
on “"Sometimes science must give way to religion"” ↗…completely transformed my way of looking at principle of natural selection. The Mind's I anthology was another one which blew me away as a youngster. Finally his ideas on religion/atheism as presented in Breaking the Spell contributed to making sense of unorganised thoughts I had.
on “Daniel Dennett has died” ↗Breaking the Spell is a book I still recommend to friends today. Sad to hear.
on “Daniel Dennett has died” ↗…nor to complexity, nor to any alleged design (the last phrase is misleading anyway). [0] It's in Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, I think Krauss too [1] Dennett gives them one paragraph out of 478 pages in Breaking the Spell, and is guilty in this paragraph of a very common straw-man, which shows how little he's read. Dawkins also uses the same straw-man in God Delusion IIRC.
on “Inside the proton, the ‘most complicated thing you could possibly imagine’” ↗…wearing shoes in the Hindu temple -- becomes a signifier of dramatic disagreement: A public break with your family, a denial of the culture, perhaps even a declaration of war. Daniel Dennett, in his book Breaking the Spell, draws a distinction between belief and "belief in belief": it's one thing to literally believe, in your heart of hearts, that God created the Earth, and it's another thing to believe that it's important…
on “Einstein's real opinion of religion” ↗Dan Dennet argues this in his book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
on “Is Death Reversible?” ↗I just confirmed that I have a copy of Breaking the Spell on a bookshelf. I still haven’t got to it. I buy books aspirationaly and read about a third of how many I buy. I have too many inputs to get to all of them. This was disappointing: > When the American…
on “Daniel Dennett has died” ↗