A flawed understanding, then. Dennett certainly does not deny the existence of selves, or of persons. What he does assert is that “self” is something of a different category from the primary elements of our current physics’ ontology (particles, etc.). His analogy is to a “center of gravity”—a notional object, but “real” in the sense of what you take it to be definitely makes a difference in what you predict will happen.
A flawed understanding, then. Dennett certainly does not deny the existence of selves, or of persons. What he does assert is that “self” is something of a different category from the primary elements of our current physics’ ontology (particles, etc.). His analogy is to a “center of gravity”—a notional object, but “real” in the sense of what you take it to be definitely makes a difference in what you predict will happen.