Comments on: Breaking the Spell–Dennett on religion http://www.numenware.com/article/494 Religion. Brain. Dogen. Language. Japan. Mon, 12 May 2008 06:45:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Peter Tarsio http://www.numenware.com/article/494#comment-858 Peter Tarsio Sun, 31 Dec 2006 15:31:17 +0000 http://www.numenware.com/article/494#comment-858 I have been reading Dennett’s tome on relgiion and he has legitimate arguments from his point of view, but you are right in that the question of transfomation and transcendce is one of the deeper aspects of religious experience that cannot be quantified in a scientific mannner. One has to admit that reading of William Jame’s book “The Varieties of Religious Experience”, takes into account many of the things that Mr. Dennett would like to see eradicated from human experience. Yes it is true that superstition and ignorance can be perpetuated by religious doctrine and dogma I think that that was covered very well by Eric Fromm when he subjected relion to psychoanalysis, however CG Jung would include everything into his world of psyche all events are psyhic in nature. The fine border of reductionism is there in Freud his teacher whom he broke with in 1908 where the student JUng could not accept the limitations of science and neurology which Freud solemnly embraced as his doctrine. They both investigated dreams and because of their different orientations and point of view one can see that Jung was bold and not afraid to investigate dreams let alone the nature of religious experience. So I believe tha Dennett is on the right track, although he is probably mistaken that religion will fold and just go away. In order for that to happen people will need to think seriously about what they believe and how many are willing to do that? Asking questions is the nature of philosophy and one may never arrive at an answer but it is a worthwhile endeavor. Peter Tarsiio I have been reading Dennett’s tome on relgiion and he has legitimate arguments from his point of view, but you are right in that the question of transfomation and transcendce is one of the deeper aspects of religious experience that cannot be quantified in a scientific mannner. One has to admit that reading of William Jame’s book “The Varieties of Religious Experience”, takes into account many of the things that Mr. Dennett would like to see eradicated from human experience. Yes it is true that superstition and ignorance can be perpetuated by religious doctrine and dogma I think that that was covered very well by Eric Fromm when he subjected relion to psychoanalysis, however CG Jung would include everything into his world of psyche all events are psyhic in nature. The fine border of reductionism is there in Freud his teacher whom he broke with in 1908 where the student JUng could not accept the limitations of science and neurology which Freud solemnly embraced as his doctrine. They both investigated dreams and because of their different orientations and point of view one can see that Jung was bold and not afraid to investigate dreams let alone the nature of religious experience. So I believe tha Dennett is on the right track, although he is probably mistaken that religion will fold and just go away. In order for that to happen people will need to think seriously about what they believe and how many are willing to do that? Asking questions is the nature of philosophy and one may never arrive at an answer but it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Peter Tarsiio

]]> By: raygun38 http://www.numenware.com/article/494#comment-359 raygun38 Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:50:01 +0000 http://www.numenware.com/article/494#comment-359 You might find the Buddhist take interesting. Listen to Dennett’s conversation with Robert Thurman here: http://www.blog.mindandreality.org/articles/2006/01/25/breaking-the-godspell You might find the Buddhist take interesting. Listen to Dennett’s conversation with Robert Thurman here:

http://www.blog.mindandreality.org/articles/2006/01/25/breaking-the-godspell

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