Editing Daniel Dennett (section)

===Religion and morality===
Dennett was a vocal [[Atheism|atheist]] and [[secularism|secularist]], a member of the [[Secular Coalition for America]] advisory board,<ref>{{cite web |title=Daniel Dennett |url=https://secular.org/profile/dr-daniel-dennett/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205150404/https://secular.org/profile/dr-daniel-dennett/ |archive-date=December 5, 2020 |access-date=January 4, 2021 |work=secular.org}}</ref> and a member of the [[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]], as well as an outspoken supporter of the [[Brights movement]]. Dennett was referred to as one of the "[[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in popular culture|Four Horsemen]] of [[New Atheism]]", along with [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Sam Harris]], and the late [[Christopher Hitchens]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/12/richard-dawkins-issue-hitchens|title=Preview: The Four Horsemen of New Atheism reunited|work=newstatesman.com|date=June 8, 2021|access-date=December 23, 2011|archive-date=April 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410071709/http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/12/richard-dawkins-issue-hitchens|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Solidarity message to ex-Muslims - Daniel Dennett.webm|thumb|Dennett sends a solidarity message to [[Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain|ex-Muslims convening in London]] in July 2017.]]
In ''[[Darwin's Dangerous Idea]]'', Dennett wrote that evolution can account for the origin of morality. He rejected the idea that morality being natural to us implies that we should take a skeptical position regarding ethics, noting that what is fallacious in the [[naturalistic fallacy]] is not to support values per se, but rather to ''rush'' from facts to values.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

In his 2006 book, ''[[Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon]]'', Dennett attempted to account for religious belief naturalistically, explaining possible evolutionary reasons for the phenomenon of religious adherence. In this book he declared himself to be "[[Brights movement|a bright]]", and defended the term.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

He did research into clerics who are secretly atheists and how they rationalize their works. He found what he called a "don't ask, don't tell" conspiracy because believers did not want to hear of loss of faith. This made unbelieving preachers feel isolated, but they did not want to lose their jobs and church-supplied lodgings. Generally, they consoled themselves with the belief that they were doing good in their pastoral roles by providing comfort and required ritual.<ref name="Dennett2010">[https://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/dennett/papers/Preachers_who_are_not_believers.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123131759/http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/dennett/papers/Preachers_who_are_not_believers.pdf|date=January 23, 2019}}, "Preachers Who Are Not Believers," ''Evolutionary Psychology'', Vol. 8, Issue 1, March 2010, pp. 122–50, {{ISSN|1474-7049}}.</ref> The research, with Linda LaScola, was further extended to include other denominations and non-Christian clerics.<ref>[http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffrf/FTradio_247_011511.mp3 Podcast: interview with Daniel Dennett. Further developments of the research: pastors, priests, and an Imam who are closet atheists]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414080440/http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/8/6/b/86b9fb94735253f4/FTradio_247_011511.mp3?c_id=2966629&cs_id=2966629&expiration=1586854694&hwt=5f8f65a36e676aca287140cce601aef1|date=April 14, 2020}}.</ref> The research and stories Dennett and LaScola accumulated during this project were published in their 2013 co-authored book, ''Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thehumanist.com/magazine/may-june-2014/arts_entertainment/caught-in-the-pulpit-leaving-belief-behind|title=Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind|date=2014-04-22|work=TheHumanist.com|access-date=2017-06-01|language=en-US|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401015205/https://thehumanist.com/magazine/may-june-2014/arts_entertainment/caught-in-the-pulpit-leaving-belief-behind|url-status=live}}</ref>