Religion is like 'the common cold' - Daniel Dennett, on BBC

[klr]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-radio-and-tv-21947207

Daniel Dennett is a philosopher and cognitive scientist who applies Darwinian evolutionary theory not just to species, but to ideas, and specifically religious belief.

He believes religion hampers rational thought and ultimately damages our species. Professor Dennett told Stephen Sackur religion is a drug human beings need to give up.

He also described it as being like "the common cold" and said humans need to be cured of it.

You can watch the full interview on BBC World News on Tuesday 2 April at 04:30, 09:30, 14:30 and 22:30 GMT and on the BBC News Channel on Tuesday 2 April at 04:30 BST and Wednesday 3 April at 00:30 BST.

Preview clip at the above link.

[Audley Strange]

Interesting. I don't see it like that at all. A cold is arbitrary whereas our need to bind to a group which connects to something greater is inherent, I think, predetermined by our Ape nature to seek an Alpha and this in turn is manipulated deliberately which has caused us to commit the most absurd atrocities. To single out "God" while ignoring "Freedom and Democracy" or "Queen and Country" or "The People" or "The Flag" or whatever group motivator symbol is used to stir up the horde misses something. These are not infections, these are cons.

This is why we need reason and rationalism. To watch for predators and to flourish.

[pErvinalia]

I like the "drug" analogy.

[cronus]

Reason is not a defense against committing atrocity. There is no morality inherent in the rational ideal. Bertrand Russell suggested nuking Moscow and thankfully less rational minds didn't listen to him. Technically he was correct - in reality we have been lucky so far.

[Audley Strange]

Bertrand Russell? The famous bloody-thirsty English Warlord who was the scourge of Europe and the Indies said that? Well he was displaying evidence of my former point, we are not rational about our own group because our submission or inclusion to it is not a rational thing to start with.

[cronus]

Another way of looking it is to say we're screwed.

[pErvinalia]

Bertrand Russell? The famous bloody-thirsty English Warlord who was the scourge of Europe and the Indies said that? Well he was displaying evidence of my former point, we are not rational about our own group because our submission or inclusion to it is not a rational thing to start with.

Interestingly, he was a proponent of game theory (or at least heavily conversant with Von Nueman(sp?)), and the rational action to take, according to game theory, was to bomb them first.