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Daniel Dennett, an influential American philosopher known for his robust support of Darwinism and atheism, passed away on Friday at the age of 82, according to The Telegraph.

Dennett was best known for his dismissive view of human consciousness, and he firmly believed that all aspects of human existence, ranging from the workings of the brain to cultural phenomena like religion, can be explained by natural processes without invoking metaphysical elements.

Dennett saw the philosophy of Charles Darwin (to whom he was fond of remarking on his own physical resemblance) as a comprehensive framework that illuminates the evolutionary journey from simple organisms to complex human beings capable of deep thought.

His notable works include Consciousness Explained, where he argues that consciousness and selfhood are better understood as behaviors rather than ethereal qualities.

He posited in Darwin’s Dangerous Idea that an underlying Darwinian algorithm, inspired by the concept of memes introduced by Richard Dawkins, applies not only to biological evolution but also to all aspects of human culture, including religion and music. Dennett suggested, for example, that J.S. Bach’s musical brilliance was a result of evolutionary design, making his brain exceptionally adept at composing music.

Dennett criticized the concept of teleological or purpose-driven evolution, dismissing any intrinsic meaning to life. He metaphorically criticized the belief in metaphysical explanations as “skyhooks,” tools that are imagined to facilitate impossible tasks, such as building a skyscraper by anchoring it in the sky.

Religion, to Dennett, was a particularly dangerous meme, comparable in its societal impact to the AIDS virus. In his book Breaking the Spell, he argued that religion is an evolved concept that has outlived its usefulness. Dennett was known for his confrontational style, challenging many prominent thinkers and opposing views, particularly those he saw as avoiding the implications of evolutionary theory.

“It helps being right, I guess,” Dennett once remarked when questioned about his confident stance on the evolutionary underpinnings of religion.

It was this opposition to religion which brought Dennett into the cohorts of the pompously named “Four Horsemen of New Atheism,” comprised of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchens, and Dennett himself. The group was based on a four-person discussion hosted on Dawkins’ YouTube channel, and while Dennett was perhaps the least well-known among them to the general public, he was perhaps the most academic in orientation.

Dennett’s personal history also reflects a life shaped by intellectual rigor and a lineage of academic influence. Born in Beirut in 1942 where his father, a historian specializing in Islam, was completing his doctorate, Dennett’s early life was marked by tragedy when his father died in a plane crash in 1948. Raised in New England, he pursued an education at Harvard and later at Oxford, where he solidified his philosophical and scientific beliefs.

During his tenure at Tufts University, he became a prominent figure in the philosophy department and the Center for Cognitive Studies. Dennett’s publications have enjoyed remarkable popularity throughout his career, underscoring his role as a major thinker in fields ranging from philosophy to cognitive science.