TY - JOUR AB - This paper deals with Daniel Dennett’s argument regarding the nature of belief in contrast to belief in belief. The idea that the value of the first order belief in the existence of a precept is entirely irrelevant because it is indistinguishable from the second-order belief; that the belief in something is a good thing. That is to say it doesn’t matter if I believe something inasmuch as if I believe that the belief is a good thing (i.e.: beneficial to the individual, etc). Dennett’s approach particularly regards an analysis of religion from this point, and suggests that it is entirely impossible to determine if an individual believes in God, or simply believes that the belief in God is a good thing. More importantly, Dennett argues that the individual themselves cannot make this distinction. AD - University of Tampa AU - Polyard, Michael DO - 10.5840/forphil20101526 KW - Belif; Dennett, Daniel; naturalism; religion LA - en M1 - 2 M3 - Article PY - 2010 RN - Dennett, Daniel. Breaking the Spell: Religion As a Natural Phenomenon. New York: Viking, 2006. SN - 1426-1898 (paper) 2353-7043 (online) SP - 355–365 ST - Philosophical Implications of Naturalizing Religion T2 - Forum Philosophicum TI - Philosophical Implications of Naturalizing Religion UR - http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=54527572&lang=pl&site=ehost-live http://www.pdcnet.org/pdc/bvdb.nsf/purchase?openform&fp=forphil&id=forphil_2010_0015_0002_0355_0365 VL - 15 ID - 18 ER -