Dennett's overall claim is that incompatiblists are making a category error when they say that determinism at the physical level precludes free will at the level of subjective experience. He argues that free will, and really any kind of freedom at all, emerges from the layers upon layers upon layers that make up the existence of what we call a living creature. (And that there are layers, or degrees, of freedom.)
I'm afraid I don't remember the exact contents of the Harris/Dennett debate; I should probably reread it myself. :)
any kind of freedom at all, emerges from the layers upon layers upon layers that make up the existence of what we call a living creature.
I don't see why layers upon layers would imply freedom. A complex Java web framework may have layers upon layers of abstractions, and that may make its operation hard to understand fully. But that doesn't mean it isn't deterministic.
Spinoza wrote: Men are mistaken in thinking themselves free; their opinion is made up of consciousness of their own actions, and ignorance of the causes by which they are determined.
I'm afraid I don't remember the exact contents of the Harris/Dennett debate; I should probably reread it myself. :)