Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS,
FRSLThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by King George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
(born 26 March 1941) is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
ethologistEthology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....
, zoologist,
Neo-DarwinianNeo-Darwinism is a term used today to describe the modern evolutionary synthesis of Darwinian evolution by natural selection with Mendelian genetics, the latter of which Darwin himself had been unaware, but which entails that the mechanism of inheritance in evolution involves the digital,...
evolutionary biologistEvolutionary biology is a sub-field of biology concerned with the origin of species from a common descent and descent of species, as well as their change, multiplication and diversity over time. Someone who studies evolutionary biology is known as an evolutionary biologist...
and
theoristTheoretical biology is a field of academic study and research that involves the use of models and theories in biology.Many separate areas of biology fall under the concept of theoretical biology, according to the way they are studied...
and a
popular sciencePopular science, sometimes called literature of science, is interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is broad-ranging, often written by scientists as well as journalists, and is presented in many...
authorAn author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created...
.
Dawkins came to prominence with his 1976 book
The Selfish GeneThe Selfish Gene is a book on evolution by Richard Dawkins, published in 1976. It builds upon the principal theory of George C. Williams's first book Adaptation and Natural Selection...
, which popularised the
gene-centred view of evolutionThe gene-centered view of evolution, gene selection theory or selfish gene theory holds that natural selection acts through differential survival of competing genes, increasing the frequency of those alleles whose phenotypic effects successfully promote their own propagation...
and introduced the term
memeA meme is a postulated unit or element of cultural ideas, symbols or practices, and is transmitted from one mind to another through speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena...
. In 1982, he further developed the gene-centred view with his book
The Extended PhenotypeThe Extended Phenotype is a 1982 book by Richard Dawkins. A revised edition was published in 1999 with an afterword by the philosopher Daniel Dennett...
, emphasizing that the
phenotypicA phenotype is any observable characteristic or trait of an organism: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, or behavior. Phenotypes result from the expression of an organism's genes as well as the influence of environmental factors and possible interactions...
effects of genes are not necessarily limited to an
organism'sIn biology, an organism is any living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homeostasis as a stable whole...
body, but can stretch via biochemistry and behaviour far into the web of life and the entire environment. He is well known as a presenter of the case for
rationalismIn epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
and
scientific thinkingNaturalized epistemology is a collection of philosophic views concerned with the theory of knowledge that emphasize the role of natural scientific methods. This shared emphasis on scientific methods of studying knowledge shifts focus to the empirical processes of knowledge acquisition and away from...
.
Dawkins is a prominent critic of
religionA religion is a system of human thought which usually includes a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, deity or deities, or ultimate truth...
,
creationismCreationism refers to the religious belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe were created in some form by a supernatural being or beings, commonly a single deity...
and a wide variety of
pseudosciencePseudoscience is a methodology, belief, or practice that is claimed to be scientific, or that is made to appear to be scientific, but which does not adhere to an appropriate scientific methodology, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
. In his 1986 book
The Blind WatchmakerThe Blind Watchmaker is a 1986 book by Richard Dawkins in which he presents an explanation of, and argument for, the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. He also presents arguments to refute certain criticisms made on his previous book The Selfish Gene...
, he argued against the
watchmaker analogyThe watchmaker analogy, or watchmaker argument, is a teleological argument for the existence of God. By way of an analogy, the argument states that design implies a designer...
, an argument for the existence of a
supernatural creatorGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
based upon the complexity of living organisms. Instead, he described evolutionary processes as analogous to a
blind watchmaker. In his 2006 book
The God DelusionThe God Delusion is a 2006 bestselling non-fiction book by British biologist Richard Dawkins, professorial fellow of New College, Oxford, and inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford....
, Dawkins contends that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist, writing that such beliefs, based on
faithFaith is the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. The word "faith" can refer to a religion itself or to religion in general....
rather than on evidence, qualify as a
delusionA delusion, in everyday language, is a fixed belief that is either false, fanciful, or derived from deception. Psychiatry defines the term more specifically as a belief that is pathological...
. He was a co-founder of the
Out CampaignThe Out Campaign is a public awareness initiative for freethought and atheism. It is endorsed by Richard Dawkins, who is a prominent atheist himself. The campaign aims to create a more positive image of atheism by providing a means by which atheists can identify themselves to others by displaying...
, as a means of advancing
atheismAtheism can be either the rejection of theism,or the position that deities do not exist.In the broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of deities....
and
freethoughtFreethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or any other dogma...
.
Early life and education
Dawkins was born in
NairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters"...
, Colony of Kenya,
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
. His father, Clinton John Dawkins, was an agricultural civil servant in the British colonial service, in Nyasaland (now
MalawiThe Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast and Mozambique, which surrounds it on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by...
). During the second world war, he was called up into the
King's African RiflesThe King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
, based in
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
, returning to England in 1949, when Richard was eight. Both of his parents were interested in
natural scienceIn Science, the term natural science refers to a naturalistic approach to the study of the universe, which is understood as obeying rules or laws of natural origin...
s, and they answered Dawkins' questions in scientific terms.
Dawkins describes his childhood as "a normal
AnglicanAnglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures...
upbringing". Though he began having doubts about the
existence of GodArguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by scientists, philosophers, theologians, and others. In philosophical terminology, "existence-of-God" arguments concern schools of thought on the epistemology of the ontology of God....
when he was about nine years old, he was persuaded by the argument from design, an argument for the existence of
GodGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
or a
creatorA creator deity is a deity in a creation myth responsible for the creation of the world .In monotheism, the single God is necessarily also the creator deity, while polytheistic traditions may or may not have creator deities...
based on perceived evidence of order, purpose, or design in nature. By his mid-teens, he had instead concluded that the
theory of evolutionThe modern evolutionary synthesis is a union of ideas from several biological specialties which forms a logical account of evolution. This synthesis has been accepted by nearly all working biologists...
was a better explanation for life's complexity, and became nonreligious.
Dawkins attended
Oundle SchoolOundle School is a co-educational English public school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire, England. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556, making it one of the oldest surviving public...
from 1954 to 1959. He studied
zoologyZoology, also spelled zoölogy, is the branch of biology that focuses on the structure, function, behavior, and evolution of animals. The zoologist's pronunciation of "zoology" is , though a common spelling pronunciation is .-Systems of classification:...
at
Balliol College, OxfordBalliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.Traditionally, the undergraduates are amongst the most politically active in the university, and the college's alumni include three former prime ministers. H. H...
, where he was tutored by
Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Prize is a Sweden-based international monetary prize. The award was established by the 1895 will and estate of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel. It was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901...
-winning ethologist
Nikolaas TinbergenNikolaas "Niko" Tinbergen was a Dutch ethologist and ornithologist who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Karl von Frisch and Konrad Lorenz for their discoveries concerning organization and elicitation of individual and social behaviour patterns in animals.In the 1960s he...
, graduating in 1962. He continued as a research student under Tinbergen's supervision at the
University of OxfordThe University of Oxford , located in the UK city of Oxford, is the oldest surviving university in the English-speaking world and is regarded as one of the world's leading academic institutions. Although the exact date of foundation remains unclear, there is evidence of teaching there as far back...
, receiving his M.A. and
D.Phil.Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated PhD , for the Latin , meaning "teacher of philosophy", or alternatively, DPhil, for the equivalent , is an advanced academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees in 1966, while staying as a research assistant for another year. Tinbergen was a pioneer in the study of animal behaviour, particularly the questions of instinct, learning and choice. Dawkins' research in this period concerned models of animal decision making.
Academic career
From 1967 to 1969, Dawkins was an assistant professor of zoology at the
University of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. The oldest of the ten major campuses affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley offers some 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines...
. During this period, the students and faculty at UC Berkeley were largely opposed to the ongoing
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
, and Dawkins became heavily involved in the
anti-warOpposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War is significant because it was the first time a war was shown and accessed through the media to the public in the United States.-1945:...
demonstrations and activities. He returned to the University of Oxford in 1970 taking a position as a
lecturerLecturer is a term of academic rank. In the United Kingdom lecturer is the name given to those who teach in their first permanent university position. That is, lecturers are academics early in their careers, who lead research groups and supervise postgraduate students as well as lecture courses...
, and − in 1990 − a
readerThe title of Reader in the United Kingdom and for universities in the Commonwealth nations like some in Australia and New Zealand, denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship....
, in zoology. In 1995, he was appointed
Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of ScienceThe Simonyi Professorship for the Public Understanding of Science is a chair in the University of Oxford. The chair was established in 1995 for the ethologist Richard Dawkins by an endowment from Charles Simonyi....
in the University of Oxford, a position that had been endowed by
Charles SimonyiCharles Simonyi is a Hungarian-American computer software executive who, as head of Microsoft's application software group, oversaw the creation of Microsoft's flagship office applications. He now heads his own company, Intentional Software, with the aim of developing and marketing his concept of...
with the express intention that the holder "be expected to make important contributions to the public understanding of some scientific field". Since 1970, he has been a fellow of
New College, OxfordNew College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Its official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always called "New College"...
. In September 2008, Dawkins retired from his post as Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science, announcing plans to "write a book aimed at youngsters in which he will warn them against believing in "anti-scientific" fairytales."
Dawkins has announced several times since 2008 that he plans a children's book for his next publication.
Evolutionary biology
In his scientific works, Dawkins is best known for his popularisation of the gene-centred view of evolution. This view is most clearly set out in his books
The Selfish Gene (1976), where he notes that "all life evolves by the differential survival of replicating entities", and
The Extended PhenotypeThe Extended Phenotype is a 1982 book by Richard Dawkins. A revised edition was published in 1999 with an afterword by the philosopher Daniel Dennett...
(1982), in which he describes
natural selectionNatural selection is the process by which heritable traits that make it more likely for an organism to survive and successfully reproduce become more common in a population over successive generations...
as "the process whereby
replicatorReplicator may refer to various things related to replication and self-replication:* The theoretical basic unit of evolution in some schools of evolutionary theory* Replicator * Clanking replicator* DNA replicationIn culture:...
s out-propagate each other". In his role as an ethologist, interested in animal behaviour and its relation to natural selection, he advocates the idea that the
geneA gene is the basic unit of heredity in a living organism. All living things depend on genes. Genes hold the information to build and maintain their cells and pass genetic traits to offspring...
is the principal
unit of selectionA unit of selection is a biological entity within the hierarchy of biological organisation that is subject to natural selection. For several decades there has been intense debate among evolutionary biologists about the extent to which evolution has been shaped by selective pressures acting at...
in
evolutionIn biology, evolution is change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Though changes produced in any one generation are normally small, differences accumulate with each generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the population, a...
.
Dawkins has consistently been sceptical about non-adaptive processes in evolution (such as
spandrelsSpandrel is a term used in evolutionary biology to describe a phenotypic characteristic that is a byproduct of the evolution of some other character, rather than a direct product of adaptive selection...
, described by Gould and
LewontinRichard Charles "Dick" Lewontin is an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and social commentator. A leader in developing the mathematical basis of population genetics and evolutionary theory, he pioneered the notion of using techniques from molecular biology such as gel electrophoresis to...
) and about selection at levels "above" that of the gene. He is particularly sceptical about the practical possibility or importance of
group selectionIn evolutionary biology, group selection refers to the idea that alleles can become fixed or spread in a population because of the benefits they bestow on groups, regardless of the alleles' effect on the fitness of individuals within that group....
as a basis for understanding
altruismAltruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Sikhism, and many others. Also, altruism is a key aspect of many...
.
This behaviour appears at first to be an evolutionary paradox, since helping others costs precious resources and decreases one's own
fitnessFitness is a central concept in evolutionary theory. It describes the capability of an individual of certain genotype to reproduce, and usually is equal to the proportion of the individual's genes in all the genes of the next generation...
. Previously, many had interpreted this as an aspect of group selection: individuals were doing what was best for the survival of the population or species as a whole, and not specifically for themselves. British evolutionary biologist
W. D. HamiltonWilliam Donald Hamilton FRS aka Bill Hamilton was a British evolutionary biologist whom Richard Dawkins praised as one of the greatest evolutionary theorists of the 20th century....
had used the gene-centred view to explain altruism in terms of
inclusive fitnessIn evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology, inclusive fitness refers to an organism's classical fitness plus the number of equivalents of its own offspring it can add to the population by supporting others...
and
kin selectionSome organisms tend to exhibit strategies that favor the reproductive success of their relatives, even at a cost to their own survival and/or reproduction. The classic example is a eusocial insect colony, with sterile females acting as workers to assist their mother in the production of additional...
− that individuals behave altruistically toward their close relatives, who share many of their own genes. Similarly,
Robert TriversRobert L. Trivers is an American evolutionary biologist and sociobiologist, most noted for proposing the theories of reciprocal altruism , parental investment , and parent-offspring conflict...
, thinking in terms of the gene-centred model, developed the theory of
reciprocal altruismReciprocal altruism is a concept, introduced into evolutionary biology by Robert Trivers, which explains the evolution of cooperation as instances of mutually altruistic acts...
, whereby one organism provides a benefit to another in the expectation of future reciprocation. Dawkins popularised these ideas in
The Selfish Gene, and developed them in his own work. Dawkins has been referred to in the media as "
Darwin'sCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist who realised and presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors, through the process he called natural selection...
Rottweiler", by analogy with English biologist T. H. Huxley, who was known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of
Charles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist who realised and presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors, through the process he called natural selection...
's evolutionary ideas. During a 2008 BBC video on the notion of a "A War on Science", Dawkins claimed that
Critics of Dawkins' approach suggest that taking the
geneA gene is the basic unit of heredity in a living organism. All living things depend on genes. Genes hold the information to build and maintain their cells and pass genetic traits to offspring...
as the unit of
selection − of a single event in which an individual either succeeds or fails to reproduce − is misleading, but that the gene could be better described as a unit of
evolution − of the long-term changes in
alleleAn allele is one of a series of different forms of a gene. The word is a short form of allelomorph , which was used in the early days of genetics to describe variant forms of a gene detected as different phenotypes...
frequencies in a population. In
The Selfish Gene, Dawkins explains that he is using
George C. WilliamsProfessor George Christopher Williams is an American evolutionary biologist.Williams is a professor emeritus of biology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is best known for his vigorous critique of group selection. The work of Williams in this area, along with W. D...
' definition of the gene as "that which segregates and recombines with appreciable frequency". Another common objection is that genes cannot survive alone, but must cooperate to build an individual, and therefore cannot be an independent "unit". In
The Extended Phenotype, Dawkins suggests that because of
genetic recombinationGenetic recombination is the process by which a strand of genetic material is broken and then joined to a different DNA molecule. In eukaryotes recombination occurs in mitosis as a common mechanism of DNA repair and in meiosis as a way of facilitating chromosomal crossover...
and
sexual reproductionSexual reproduction is characterized by processes that pass a combination of genetic material to offspring, resulting in diversity. The main two processes are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes; and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the restoration...
, from an individual gene's viewpoint all other genes are part of the environment to which it is adapted.
Advocates for higher levels of selection such as
Richard LewontinRichard Charles "Dick" Lewontin is an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and social commentator. A leader in developing the mathematical basis of population genetics and evolutionary theory, he pioneered the notion of using techniques from molecular biology such as gel electrophoresis to...
,
David Sloan WilsonDavid Sloan Wilson is an American evolutionary biologist. Son of the author Sloan Wilson, David Sloan Wilson is a distinguished professor at Binghamton University. He is a prominent proponent of the concept of group selection in evolution...
, and Elliot Sober suggest that there are many phenomena (including altruism) that gene-based selection cannot satisfactorily explain. The philosopher
Mary MidgleyMary Midgley, née Scrutton , is an English moral philosopher. She was a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Newcastle University and is known for her work on science, ethics and animal rights. She wrote her first book, Beast And Man: The Roots of Human Nature , when she was in her fifties...
, with whom Dawkins has intermittently debated since the late 1970s, has criticised gene selection, memetics and sociobiology as being excessively reductionist.
In a set of controversies over the mechanisms and interpretation of evolution (the so-called 'Darwin Wars'), one faction was often named after Dawkins and its rival after
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
paleontologist
Stephen Jay GouldStephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation. Gould spent most of his career teaching at Harvard University and working at the American Museum...
, reflecting the pre-eminence of each as a populariser of pertinent ideas. In particular, Dawkins and Gould have been prominent commentators in the controversy over
sociobiologySociobiology is a synthesis of scientific disciplines which attempts to explain social behavior in animal species by considering the Darwinian advantages specific behaviors may have. It is often considered a branch of biology and sociology, but also draws from ethology, anthropology, evolution,...
and
evolutionary psychologyEvolutionary psychology attempts to explain psychological traits—such as memory, perception, or language—as adaptations, that is, as the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection. Adaptationist thinking about physiological mechanisms, such as the heart, lungs, and immune system,...
, with Dawkins generally approving and Gould generally being critical. A typical example of Dawkins' position was his scathing review of
Not in Our GenesNot in Our Genes: Biology, Ideology and Human Nature is a 1984 book authored by evolutionary geneticist Richard Lewontin, neurobiologist Steven Rose and psychologist Leon J...
by
Steven RoseSteven P. Rose is a Professor of Biology and Neurobiology at the Open University and University of London. Rose studied biochemistry at King's College, Cambridge, and neurobiology at Cambridge and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London...
, Leon J. Kamin and Richard C. Lewontin. Two other thinkers on the subject often considered to be allied to Dawkins are
Steven PinkerSteven Arthur Pinker is a Canadian-American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and author of popular science...
and
Daniel DennettDaniel Clement Dennett is a prominent American philosopher whose research centers on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the co-director of the Center for Cognitive...
; Dennett has promoted a gene-centred view of evolution and defended
reductionismReductionism can either mean an approach to understand the nature of complex things by reducing them to the interactions of their parts, or to simpler or more fundamental things or a philosophical position that a complex system is nothing but the sum of its parts, and that an account of it can be...
in biology. Despite their academic disagreements, Dawkins and Gould did not have a hostile personal relationship, and Dawkins dedicated a large portion of his 2003 book
A Devil's ChaplainA Devil's Chaplain, subtitled Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love is a 2003 book of selected essays and other writings by Richard Dawkins. Published five years after his previous book Unweaving the Rainbow, it contains 32 essays covering subjects including pseudoscience, genetic...
posthumously to Gould, who had died the previous year.
Dawkins' latest book, entitled
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for EvolutionThe Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution is a 2009 book by British ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, which was released on September 3, 2009 in the UK and on September 22, 2009 in the US...
, expounds the evidence for biological evolution. It was released on September 3, 2009, published in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and
CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
nations by
TransworldTransworld Publishers is a British publishing division of Random House and belongs to Bertelsmann, one of the world's largest media groups. It publishes fiction and non fiction titles by various best-selling authors under several different imprints...
. In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it was released on September 22, 2009, where it was published by
Free PressFree Press is an American publisher and imprint of Simon & Schuster that has been in business for over fifty years. It was headquartered in Glencoe, Illinois, until mid-1960s, where it was known as The Free Press of Glencoe. It was purchased by Macmillan in 1961. Well known for publishing serious...
. All of his previous works dealing with evolution had assumed its truth, and not explicitly provided the evidence to this effect. Dawkins felt that this represented a gap in his oeuvre, and decided to write the book to coincide with
DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist who realised and presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors, through the process he called natural selection...
's
bicentennialBicentennial may refer to:* two-hundredth anniversary of an event, or the celebrations pertaining thereof.* United States Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence...
year. Dawkins has been characterized as the third most successful science writer ever, after only
Carl SaganCarl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrochemist, author, and highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics and other natural sciences...
and
Stephen HawkingStephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is a British theoretical physicist. He is known for his contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes...
.
Meme
Dawkins
coinedA neologism ; from Greek νές is a newly coined word that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event...
the word
meme (the cultural equivalent of a gene) to describe how Darwinian principles might be extended to explain the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. This has spawned the field of
memeticsMemetics is a term coined by Douglas Hofstadter in the 1980s, relating to the notion of meme, introduced by Richard Dawkins, as genetics relates to that of gene....
. Dawkins' memes refer to any cultural entity which an observer might consider a replicator. He hypothesised that people could view many cultural entities as capable of such replication, generally through exposure to humans, who have evolved as efficient (although not perfect) copiers of information and behaviour. Memes are not always copied perfectly, and might indeed become refined, combined or otherwise modified with other ideas, resulting in new memes, which may themselves prove more, or less, efficient replicators than their predecessors, thus providing a framework for a hypothesis of cultural evolution, analogous to the theory of biological evolution based on genes. Since originally outlining the idea in his book
The Selfish Gene, Dawkins has largely left the task of expanding upon it to other authors such as
Susan BlackmoreSusan Jane Blackmore is an English freelance writer, lecturer, and broadcaster on psychology and the paranormal, perhaps best known for her book The Meme Machine.-Career:...
.
Although Dawkins invented the specific term meme independently, he has not claimed that the idea itself was entirely novel, and there have been other expressions for similar ideas in the past. For instance, John Laurent has suggested that the term may have derived from the work of the little-known German biologist
Richard SemonRichard Wolfgang Semon was a German zoologist and evolutionary biologist, who believed in the inheritance of acquired characters and applied this to social evolution....
. In 1904, Semon published
Die Mneme (which appeared in English in 1924 as
The Mneme). This book discussed the cultural transmission of experiences, with insights parallel to those of Dawkins'. Laurent found the term
mneme used in
Maurice MaeterlinckMaurice Polydore Marie Bernard, Count Maeterlinck was a Belgian playwright, poet and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life...
's
The Life of the White Ant (1926), and has highlighted the similarities to Dawkins' concept.
Atheism and rationalism
Dawkins is an outspoken atheist,
secular humanistSecular humanism is a humanist philosophy that espouses reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects the supernatural and the spiritual as the basis of moral reflection and decision-making...
,
scepticScientific skepticism or rational skepticism , sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a practical, epistemological position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence...
, scientific
rationalistIn epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
, and supporter of the
Brights movementThe Brights movement is a social movement that aims to promote public understanding and acknowledgment of the naturalistic worldview. It was co-founded by Paul Geisert and Mynga Futrell in 2003....
. As early as a 1996 Oxford debate including
Shmuley BoteachShmuley Boteach , self-touted as "America's Rabbi", is an American Modern Orthodox rabbi, radio and television host, and author. Two of his book titles are Kosher Sex and The Kosher Sutra. He has nine children by his wife and many of his other books have to do with the most private aspects of...
, he was introduced as "The World's most famous atheist". He is a prominent
critic of religionCriticism of religion is the criticism of the concepts, validity, and practices of religion, including associated political and social implications....
, and has been described as a militant atheist. He is an Honorary Associate of the
National Secular SocietyThe National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism, the separation of church and state. It holds that no-one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...
, a vice-president of the
British Humanist AssociationThe British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
(since 1996), a Distinguished Supporter of the
Humanist Society of ScotlandThe Humanist Society of Scotland is a Scottish organisation that promotes Humanist views.The HSS is a member organisation of the International Humanist and Ethical Union...
, a Humanist Laureate of the
International Academy of HumanismThe International Academy of Humanism is a programme of the Council for Secular Humanism. It was established to recognize great humanists and disseminate humanist thinking. According to its declared mission, members of the academy are devoted to free inquiry, are committed to a scientific outlook,...
, and a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. In 2003, he signed
Humanism and Its AspirationsHumanism and Its Aspirations subtitled Humanist Manifesto III, a successor to the Humanist Manifesto of 1933 is the most recent of the Humanist Manifestos published by the American Humanist Association...
, published by the
American Humanist AssociationThe American Humanist Association is an educational organization in the United States that advances Humanism. "Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that...
. At this time, Dawkins had already attracted some criticism from Christian intellectuals, not because of his conclusions, but because they asserted that some minor aspects of his arguments were fallacious. Dawkins believes that his own atheism is the logical extension of his understanding of evolution and that religion is incompatible with science.
In his 1986 book
The Blind Watchmaker, Dawkins wrote:
In his 1991 essay "
Viruses of the Mind"Viruses of the Mind" is an essay by Richard Dawkins using memetics and analogies with biological and computer viruses, and with disease and epidemiology, to analyse the propagation of ideas and behaviours. Its particular focus is on religious beliefs and activities...
" (from which the term
faith-sufferer originated), he suggested that
memetic theoryMemetics is a term coined by Douglas Hofstadter in the 1980s, relating to the notion of meme, introduced by Richard Dawkins, as genetics relates to that of gene....
might analyse and explain the phenomenon of religious belief and some of the common characteristics of religions, such as the belief that punishment awaits non-believers. According to Dawkins, faith − belief that is not based on evidence − is one of the world's great evils. He claims it to be analogous to the smallpox virus, though more difficult to eradicate. Dawkins is well-known for his contempt for religious extremism, from Islamist terrorism to Christian fundamentalism; but he has argued with liberal believers and religious scientists, from biologists
Kenneth MillerKenneth Raymond Miller is a biology professor at Brown University. Miller, who is Roman Catholic, is particularly known for his opposition to creationism, including the intelligent design movement. He has written two books on the subject. The first, Finding Darwin's God, argues that a belief in...
and
Francis CollinsFrancis S. Collins , M.D., Ph.D., is an American physician-geneticist, noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project and described as "one of the most accomplished scientists of our time"...
to theologians
Alister McGrathAlister Edgar McGrath is a Christian theologian, who holds both a DPhil and an earned Doctor of Divinity degree from Oxford. He is noted for his work in historical, systematic and scientific theology....
and
Richard HarriesRichard Douglas Harries, Baron Harries of Pentregarth is a retired bishop of the Church of England, and was the 41st Bishop of Oxford from 1987 to 2006. Since 2008, he has been the Gresham Professor of Divinity.-Education and army career:...
. Dawkins has stated that his
opposition to religionAntireligion is opposition to religion.Antireligion is distinct from atheism and antitheism , although antireligionists may be atheists or antitheists...
is twofold, claiming it to be both a source of conflict and a justification for belief without evidence. However, he describes himself as a "
cultural ChristianCultural Christian is a broad term used to describe people with either ethnic or religious Christian heritage who don't believe in the religious claims of Christianity, but who still have an affinity for the culture, art, music, and so on related to it....
", and proposed the slogan "Atheists for Jesus".
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, when asked how the world might have changed, Dawkins responded:
Dawkins has especially risen to prominence in contemporary public debates relating science and religion since the publication of his 2006 book
The God Delusion, which has achieved greater sales figures worldwide than any of his other works to date. Its success has been seen by many as indicative of a change in the contemporary cultural
zeitgeistZeitgeist is a German language expression referring to "the spirit of the times" and/or "the spirit of the age." The word Zeitgeist is used to describe the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and/or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general...
, central to a recent rise in the popularity of atheistic literature.
The God Delusion was praised by many intellectuals including the Nobel laureate chemist Sir
Harold KrotoSir Harold Walter Kroto, FRS is an English chemist and one of the three recipients to share the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry....
, psychologist
Steven PinkerSteven Arthur Pinker is a Canadian-American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and author of popular science...
and the Nobel laureate biologist
James D. WatsonJames Dewey Watson, born April 6, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, is an American molecular biologist, best known as one of the two co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, with Francis Crick in 1953...
. In the book, Dawkins argued that atheists should be proud, not apologetic, because atheism is evidence of a healthy, independent mind. He sees education and
consciousness-raisingConsciousness raising is a form of political activism, pioneered by United States feminists in the late 1960s. It often takes the form of a group of people attempting to focus the attention of a wider group of people on some cause or condition...
as the primary tools in opposing what he considers to be religious dogma and indoctrination. These tools include the fight against certain stereotypes, and he has adopted the term
BrightThe Brights movement is a social movement that aims to promote public understanding and acknowledgment of the naturalistic worldview. It was co-founded by Paul Geisert and Mynga Futrell in 2003....
as a way of associating positive public connotations with those who possess a
naturalisticNaturalism is divided into two philosophical stances:*Naturalized epistemology which focuses on epistemology: This stance is concerned with knowledge: what are methods for gaining trustworthy knowledge of the natural world? It is an epistemological view that is specifically concerned with practical...
worldview. Dawkins notes that feminists have succeeded in arousing widespread embarrassment at the routine use of "he" instead of "she". Similarly, he suggests, a phrase such as "Catholic child" or "Muslim child" should be considered just as socially absurd as, for instance, "Marxist child": children should not be classified based on their parents' ideological beliefs. According to Dawkins, there is no such thing as a Christian child or a Muslim child, as children have about as much capacity to make the decision to become Christians or Muslims as they do to become Marxists.
In January 2006, Dawkins presented a two-part television documentary entitled
The Root of All Evil?The Root of All Evil? is a television documentary, written and presented by Richard Dawkins, in which he argues that humanity would be better off without religion or belief in God....
, addressing what he sees as the malignant influence of religion on society. The title itself is one with which Dawkins has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction. Critics have said that the programme gave too much time to marginal figures and extremists, and that Dawkins' confrontational style did not help his cause; Dawkins rejected these claims, citing the number of moderate religious broadcasts in everyday media as providing a suitable balance to the extremists in the programmes. He further remarked that someone who is deemed an "extremist" in a religiously moderate country may well be considered "mainstream" in a religiously conservative one. The unedited recordings of Dawkins' conversations with Alister McGrath and Richard Harries, including material unused in the broadcast version, have been made available online.
Oxford theologian Alister McGrath (author of The Dawkins Delusion) maintains that Dawkins is "ignorant" of
Christian theologyChristian theology is discourse concerning Christian faith. Christian theologians use Biblical exegesis, rational analysis and argument to understand, explain, test, critique, defend or promote Christianity...
, and therefore unable to engage religion and faith intelligently. In reply, Dawkins asks "do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in
leprechaunA leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology. Popular depiction shows them as being no...
s?", and − in the paperback edition of
The God Delusion − he refers to the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
biologist
PZ MyersPaul Zachary "PZ" Myers is an American biology professor at the University of Minnesota Morris and the author of the science blog Pharyngula. He is currently an associate professor of biology at UMM, works with zebrafish in the field of evolutionary developmental biology , and also cultivates an...
, who has satirised this line of argument as "The Courtier's Reply". Dawkins had an extended debate with McGrath at the 2007
Sunday Times Literary Festival.
Another Christian philosopher,
Keith WardThe Reverend Professor Keith Ward is a British cleric, philosopher, theologian, and scholar. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and an ordained priest in the Church of England. He was a Canon of Christ Church, Oxford until 2003...
, explores similar themes in his 2006 book
Is Religion Dangerous?Is Religion Dangerous? is a book by Keith Ward examining the questions: "Is religion dangerous? Does it do more harm than good? Is it a force for evil?" It was first published in 2006....
, arguing against the view of Dawkins and others that religion is socially dangerous. Criticism of
The God Delusion has come from philosophers such as Professor John Cottingham of the
University of ReadingThe University of Reading is a red-brick university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. Established in 1892, receiving its Royal Charter in 1926, the University has a long tradition of research, education and training at a local, national and international level. It was awarded the Queen's...
. Other commentators, including
ethicistAn ethicist is one whose judgment on ethics and ethical codes has come to be trusted by a specific community, and is expressed in some way that makes it possible for others to mimic or approximate that judgement...
Margaret SomervilleMargaret Anne Ganley Somerville, AM, FRSC is an Australian/Canadian ethicist and academic. She is the Samuel Gale Professor of Law, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and the Founding Director of the Faculty of Law's Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at McGill University.-Biography:Somerville...
, have suggested that Dawkins "overstates the case against religion", particularly its role in human conflict. Many of Dawkins' defenders claim that critics generally misunderstand his real point. During a debate on Radio 3 Hong Kong, David Nicholls, writer and president of the
Atheist Foundation of AustraliaThe Atheist Foundation of Australia, Inc. was established in South Australia in 1970, when The Rationalist Association of South Australia decided upon a name change to better declare their basic philosophy, namely atheism....
, reiterated Dawkins' sentiments that religion is an "unnecessary" aspect of global problems.
Dawkins argues that "the existence of God is a scientific hypothesis like any other". He disagrees with
Stephen Jay GouldStephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation. Gould spent most of his career teaching at Harvard University and working at the American Museum...
's principle of
nonoverlapping magisteriaNon-overlapping magisteria is the view advocated by Stephen Jay Gould that "science and religion do not glower at each other...[but] interdigitate in patterns of complex fingering, and at every fractal scale of self-similarity." He suggests, with examples, that "NOMA enjoys strong and fully...
(NOMA). In an interview with
TimeTime is an American newsmagazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong. As of 2009, Time no longer publishes a Canadian advertiser edition...
magazine, Dawkins said:
I think that Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp. But it's a very empty idea. There are plenty of places where religion does not keep off the scientific turf. Any belief in miracles is flat contradictory not just to the facts of science but to the spirit of science.
Astrophysicist
Martin ReesMartin John Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, OM, PRS is an English cosmologist and astrophysicist. He has been Astronomer Royal since 1995, and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge since 2004...
has suggested that Dawkins' attack on mainstream religion is unhelpful. Regarding Rees' claim in his book
Our Cosmic Habitat that "such questions lie beyond science", Dawkins asks "what expertise can theologians bring to deep cosmological questions that scientists cannot?" Elsewhere, Dawkins has written that "there's all the difference in the world between a belief that one is prepared to defend by quoting evidence and logic, and a belief that is supported by nothing more than tradition, authority or revelation."
As examples of "good scientists who are sincerely religious", Dawkins names
Arthur PeacockeThe Reverend Canon Arthur Robert Peacocke MBE was a British theologian and biochemist.-Biography:Arthur Robert Peacocke was born at Watford in on 29 November 1924...
,
Russell StannardRussell Stannard is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the Open University. In 1986 he was awarded the Templeton Project Trust Award for ‘significant contributions to the field of spiritual values; in particular for contributions to greater understanding of science and religion’...
,
John PolkinghorneJohn Polkinghorne KBE FRS is a British particle physicist and theologian. He has written extensively on matters concerning science and faith, and was awarded the Templeton Prize in 2002.-Physicist:...
and
Francis CollinsFrancis S. Collins , M.D., Ph.D., is an American physician-geneticist, noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project and described as "one of the most accomplished scientists of our time"...
, but says "I remain baffled ... by their belief in the details of the Christian religion." He has said that the publication of
The God Delusion is "probably the culmination" of his campaign against religion.
In 2007, Dawkins founded the
Out CampaignThe Out Campaign is a public awareness initiative for freethought and atheism. It is endorsed by Richard Dawkins, who is a prominent atheist himself. The campaign aims to create a more positive image of atheism by providing a means by which atheists can identify themselves to others by displaying...
to encourage atheists worldwide to declare their stance publicly and proudly. Inspired by the
gay rights movementGay Liberation is the name used to describe the radical lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement of the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s in North America, Western Europe, and Australia and New Zealand...
, Dawkins hopes that atheists' identifying of themselves as such, and thereby increasing public awareness of how many people hold these views, will reduce the negative opinion of atheism among the religious majority.
In September 2008, following a complaint by
Islamic creationistIslamic creationism is the belief that the universe were created by God as explained in the Qur'an. Islam doesn't have any arguments in its canonical sources that contradict with or reject evolution. Islamic creationism is not incompatible with the idea...
Adnan OktarAdnan Oktar --also known by his pen name, Harun Yahya--is a prominent advocate of Islamic creationism in the creation-evolution debate and, more particularly, supports Old Earth creationism...
, a court in
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
blocked access to Dawkins' website
richarddawkins.net. The court decision was made due to "insult to personality".
In October 2008, Dawkins officially supported the UK's first atheist advertising initiative, the
Atheist Bus CampaignThe Atheist Bus Campaign aims to place "peaceful and upbeat" messages about atheism on transport media in the UK, in response to evangelical Christian advertising. It was created by comedy writer Ariane Sherine and launched on 21 October 2008, with official support from the British Humanist...
. Created by Guardian journalist
Ariane SherineAriane Sherine is a British comedy writer, journalist and the creator of the Atheist Bus Campaign. She lives in London.- Career :...
, the campaign aimed to raise funds to place atheist adverts on buses in the London area, and Dawkins pledged to match the amount raised by atheists, up to a maximum of £5,500. However, the campaign was an unprecedented success, raising over £100,000 in its first four days, and generating global press coverage. The campaign, started in January 2009, features adverts across the UK with the slogan: “
There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Dawkins said that "this campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think — and thinking is anathema to religion." A Church of England spokesman said: "we would defend the right of any group representing a religious or philosophical position to be able to promote that view through appropriate channels. However, Christian belief is not about worrying or not enjoying life. Quite the opposite -- our faith liberates us to put this life into a proper perspective."
Criticism of creationism
Dawkins is a prominent critic of
creationismCreationism refers to the religious belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe were created in some form by a supernatural being or beings, commonly a single deity...
(the religious belief that
humanHumans are bipedal primates belonging to the species Homo sapiens in Hominidae, the great ape family. They are the only surviving member of the genus Homo. Humans have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem solving...
ity,
lifeLife is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have self-sustaining biological processes from those that do not—either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as "inanimate."In biology, the science of living organisms, "life"...
and the
universeThe Universe comprises everything that physically exists, the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter and energy, and the physical laws and constants that govern them...
were created by a
deityA deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
, without recourse to evolution). He has described the
Young Earth creationistYoung Earth creationism is the religious belief that the Heavens, Earth, and life on Earth were created by direct acts of God during a short period, sometime between ca 5,700 and 10,000 years ago....
view that the Earth is only a few thousand years old as "a preposterous, mind-shrinking falsehood," and his 1986 book,
The Blind WatchmakerThe Blind Watchmaker is a 1986 book by Richard Dawkins in which he presents an explanation of, and argument for, the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. He also presents arguments to refute certain criticisms made on his previous book The Selfish Gene...
, contains a sustained critique of the
argument from designA teleological argument, or argument from design, is an argument for the existence of God or a creator based on perceived evidence of order, purpose, design, or direction — or some combination of these — in nature. The word "teleological" is derived from the Greek word telos, meaning "end" or...
, an important creationist argument. In the book, Dawkins argued against the
watchmaker analogyThe watchmaker analogy, or watchmaker argument, is a teleological argument for the existence of God. By way of an analogy, the argument states that design implies a designer...
made famous by the 18th-century
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
theologianThe term "theology" literally means the study of God, deriving from the Greek word theos, meaning 'God', and the suffix -ology from the Greek word logos meaning "discourse", "theory", or "reasoning"...
William PaleyWilliam Paley was a British Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in his work Natural Theology, which made use of the watchmaker analogy .-Life:Born in Peterborough, England, Paley was educated...
in his book
Natural Theology. Paley argued that, just as a watch is too complicated and too functional to have sprung into existence merely by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. According to Dawkins, however, natural selection is sufficient to explain the apparent functionality and non-random complexity of the biological world, and can be said to play the role of watchmaker in nature, albeit as an automatic, nonintelligent,
blind watchmaker. In 1986, Dawkins participated in a
Oxford UnionThe Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, UK, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
debate, in which he and English biologist
John Maynard SmithJohn Maynard Smith, F.R.S. was a British theoretical evolutionary biologist and geneticist. Originally an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, he then took a second degree in genetics under the well-known biologist J.B.S. Haldane...
debated
Young Earth creationistYoung Earth creationism is the religious belief that the Heavens, Earth, and life on Earth were created by direct acts of God during a short period, sometime between ca 5,700 and 10,000 years ago....
A. E. Wilder-SmithArthur Ernest Wilder-Smith , more commonly known as A. E. Wilder-Smith, was a Young Earth creationist and a chemist.Wilder-Smith earned his first doctorate in organic chemistry at Reading University in 1941. He went on to have a number of different research and teaching positions before becoming a...
and Edgar Andrews, president of the
Biblical Creation SocietyThe Biblical Creation Society is a United Kingdom-based creationist organisation founded in 1977 by Scottish minister Nigel M. de S. Cameron and a group of evangelical students, who were concerned about the popularity of theistic evolution among conservative Christians, but were repelled by the...
. In general, however, Dawkins has followed the advice of his late colleague
Stephen Jay GouldStephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation. Gould spent most of his career teaching at Harvard University and working at the American Museum...
and refused to participate in formal debates with creationists because doing so would give them the "oxygen of respectability" they crave. He suggests that creationists "don't mind being beaten in an argument. What matters is that we give them recognition by bothering to argue with them in public."
In a December 2004 interview with American journalist
Bill MoyersBilly Don "Bill" Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965-1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers had an extensive involvement with...
, Dawkins said that "among the things that science does know, evolution is about as certain as anything we know". When Moyers questioned him on the
use of the word theoryThe statement "evolution is both a theory and a fact" is often seen in biological literature.The "fact of evolution" refers to the changes in the genetic material of a population of biological organisms over time, which are known to have occurred through scientific observations and experiments...
, Dawkins stated that "evolution has been observed. It's just that it hasn't been observed while it's happening." He added that "it is rather like a detective coming on a murder after the scene... the detective hasn't actually seen the murder take place, of course. But what you do see is a massive clue ... Huge quantities of circumstantial evidence. It might as well be spelled out in words of English." Dawkins has ardently opposed the inclusion of
intelligent designIntelligent design is the assertion that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a modern form of the traditional teleological argument for the existence of God, but one which...
in science education, describing it as "not a scientific argument at all, but a religious one". He has been a strong critic of the British organisation
Truth in ScienceTruth in Science is a United Kingdom-based organization which promotes the "Teach the Controversy" campaign. It uses this strategy to try to get intelligent design taught alongside evolution in school science lessons...
, which promotes the teaching of creationism in state schools, and he plans − through the
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and ScienceThe Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science is a non-profit organization founded by biologist Richard Dawkins in 2006. It is trusteed by Dawkins and Claire Enders in the United Kingdom along with Karen Owens in the United States...
− to subsidise the delivering of books,
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
s and
pamphletA pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
s to schools, in order to counteract what he has described as an "educational scandal".
Other fields
In his role as professor for public understanding of science, Dawkins has been a critic of
pseudosciencePseudoscience is a methodology, belief, or practice that is claimed to be scientific, or that is made to appear to be scientific, but which does not adhere to an appropriate scientific methodology, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
and
alternative medicineIn Western culture, alternative medicine is any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine", or "that which has been shown consistently to be effective." Alternative medicine is often based on the belief that a particular health regimen has efficacious effects...
. His 1998 book
Unweaving the RainbowUnweaving the Rainbow is a 1998 book by Richard Dawkins, discussing the relationship between science and the arts from the perspective of a scientist....
takes
John KeatsJohn Keats was an English poet, who became one of the key figures of the Romantic movement. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, Keats was one of the second generation Romantic poets...
' accusation that, by explaining the
rainbowA rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere...
,
Isaac NewtonSir Isaac Newton FRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian who is perceived and considered by a substantial number of scholars and the general public as one of the most influential men in history...
had diminished its beauty, and argues for the opposite conclusion. He suggests that deep space, the billions of years of life's evolution, and the microscopic workings of biology and heredity contain more beauty and wonder than do "myths" and "pseudoscience". Dawkins wrote a foreword to
John DiamondJohn Diamond was a British broadcaster and journalist.- Education and training :Diamond was the son of a biochemist and a fashion designer. He grew up in Lower Clapton and Woodford Green, he then attended the City of London School and trained as an English teacher at Trent Park College of...
's posthumously published
Snake Oil, a book devoted to debunking alternative medicine, in which he asserted that alternative medicine was harmful, if only because it distracted patients from more successful conventional treatments, and gave people false hopes. Dawkins states that "there is no alternative medicine. There is only medicine that works and medicine that doesn't work." He has noted that libel laws in Britain and particularly how they are enforced in London stifles criticism of pseudoscience.
Dawkins has expressed concern about the growth of the planet's human
populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
, and about the matter of
overpopulationOverpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. In common parlance, the term usually refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth....
. In
The Selfish Gene, he briefly mentions population growth, giving the example of
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,501 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, whose population, at the time the book was written, was doubling every 40 years. He is critical of
Roman CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
attitudes to
family planningFamily planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
and
population controlPopulation control is the practice of artificially altering the rate of population growth. Historically, population control has been implemented by limiting the population's birth rate, usually by government mandate, and has been undertaken as a response to factors including high or increasing...
, stating that leaders who forbid
contraceptionBirth control is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, sexual practices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of pregnancy or childbirth...
and "express a preference for 'natural' methods of population limitation" will get just such a method in the form of
starvationStarvation is a severe reduction in vitamin, nutrient, and energy intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage, and eventually death...
.
As a supporter of the
Great Ape ProjectThe Great Ape Project , founded in 1993, is an international organization of primatologists, psychologists, ethicists, and other experts who advocate a United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Great Apes that would confer basic legal rights on non-human great apes: chimpanzees, bonobos,...
– a movement to extend certain moral and legal
rightRights are entitlements or permissions, usually of a legal or moral nature. Rights are of vital importance in the fields of law and ethics, especially theories of justice and deontology.-Theoretical distinctions:...
s to all
great apesThe Hominidae The Hominidae The Hominidae (anglicized Hominids, also known as great apes
["Great ape" is a common name rather than a taxonomic label and there are differences in usage...]
– Dawkins contributed an article entitled "Gaps in the Mind" to the
Great Ape Project book edited by
Paola CavalieriPaola Cavalieri is an Italian philosopher, most known for her work arguing for extension of human rights to the other great apes. In addition to her books, she was the editor of Etica & Animali, a quarterly international philosophy journal that published nine volumes from 1988 to 1998.-Books:* The...
and
Peter SingerPeter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher. He is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, and laureate professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics , University of Melbourne...
. In this essay, he criticises contemporary society's moral attitudes as being based on a "discontinuous,
speciesistSpeciesism is the assigning of different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership. The term was created by British psychologist Richard D. Ryder in 1973 to denote a prejudice against non-humans based on morally irrelevant physical differences...
imperative".
Dawkins regularly comments in newspapers and
weblogsA blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...
on contemporary political questions; his opinions include opposition to the
2003 invasion of IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq, was led by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia, Denmark, Poland and Spain. Four countries participated with troops during the initial invasion phase, which lasted from March 20 to May 1...
, the
British nuclear deterrentThe UK Trident programme is the United Kingdom's Trident missile-based nuclear weapons programme. Under the programme, the Royal Navy operates 58 nuclear-armed Trident II D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and around 200 nuclear warheads on 4 Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines from...
and many of the actions of U.S. President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
. Several such articles were included in
A Devil's ChaplainA Devil's Chaplain, subtitled Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love is a 2003 book of selected essays and other writings by Richard Dawkins. Published five years after his previous book Unweaving the Rainbow, it contains 32 essays covering subjects including pseudoscience, genetic...
, an anthology of writings about science, religion and politics. He is a supporter of the
RepublicRepublic is a British non-partisan republican pressure group advocating the replacement of the United Kingdom's monarchy with a democratically-elected head of state....
campaign to replace the
British monarchyThe Monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
with a democratically-elected
presidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
.
In the 2007 TV documentary
The Enemies of ReasonThe Enemies of Reason is a two-part television documentary, written and presented by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. From the makers: Is it rational that the dead can communicate with the living and give sound advice on how they should live their lives? What about sticking pins into your...
, Dawkins discusses what he sees as the dangers of abandoning critical thought and rationale based upon scientific evidence. He specifically cites
astrologyAstrology is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs which hold that the relative positions of celestial bodies and related details can provide information about personality, human affairs, and other terrestrial matters. A practitioner of astrology is called an astrologer...
,
spiritualismSpiritualism is a monotheistic belief system or religion, postulating a belief in God, but the distinguishing feature is belief that spirits of the dead can be contacted, either by individuals or by gifted or trained "mediums", who can provide information about the afterlife.Spiritualism developed...
,
dowsingDowsing, sometimes called divining, doodlebugging , or water finding or water witching, is a practice that attempts to locate hidden water wells, buried metals or ores, gemstones, or other objects as well as so-called "currents of earth radiation" without the use of scientific apparatus...
, alternative faiths,
alternative medicineIn Western culture, alternative medicine is any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine", or "that which has been shown consistently to be effective." Alternative medicine is often based on the belief that a particular health regimen has efficacious effects...
and
homeopathyHomeopathy is a form of alternative medicine, first proposed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, that treats patients with heavily diluted preparations which are thought to cause effects similar to the symptoms presented...
. He discusses how the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
can be used to spread religious hatred and conspiracy theories with scant attention to evidence-based reasoning.
Continuing a long-standing partnership with
Channel 4Channel 4 is a UK public-service television broadcaster which began working on November 2, 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station owned now and operated by the Channel Four Television...
, Dawkins is set to present an episode of the upcoming five-part television series
The Genius of Britain, along with fellow scientists
Stephen HawkingStephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is a British theoretical physicist. He is known for his contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes...
,
James DysonSir James Dyson , is an English industrial designer.He is best known as the inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, which works on cyclonic separation. His net worth in 2008 was said to be £1.1 billion.-Biography:Dyson is one of three children whose father, Alec Dyson, died of...
,
Paul NurseSir Paul Maxime Nurse, FRS is a British biochemist. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Leland H. Hartwell and R. Timothy Hunt for their discoveries regarding cell cycle regulation by cyclin and cyclin dependent kinases.Nurse's mother came from Norfolk...
, and
Jim Al-KhaliliJim Al-Khalili OBE is a British theoretical nuclear physicist, academic, author and broadcaster.-Biography:Born in Baghdad in 1962 to an Iraqi father and English mother, Professor Al-Khalili studied physics at the University of Surrey. He graduated with a B.Sc. in 1986 and stayed on to pursue a...
. The programme will focus on major British scientific achievements throughout history.
In 2009, Dawkins expanded on his ideas about purpose, positing archeo- and neo-purpose.
Richard Dawkins Foundation
In 2006, Dawkins founded the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDFRS), a
non-profit organisationA nonprofit organization is an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals . Examples of NPOs include charities , trade unions, and public arts organizations...
. The foundation is in developmental phase. It has been granted charitable status in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. RDFRS plans to finance research on the
psychology of belief and religionPsychology of religion is the psychological study of religious experiences, beliefs, and activities.- William James :U.S. psychologist and philosopher William James is regarded by most psychologists of religion as the founder of the field. He served as president of the American Psychological...
, finance scientific education programs and materials, and publicise and support
secularSecularity is the state of being separate from religion.For instance, eating and bathing may be regarded as examples of secular activities, because there may not be anything inherently religious about them...
charitable organisationA charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . The term is relatively general and can technically refer to a public charity or a private foundation. It differs from other types of NPOs in that its focus is centered around goals of a general philanthropic nature A charitable...
s. The foundation offers
humanistHumanism is a perspective common to a wide range of ethical stances that attaches importance to human dignity, concerns, and capabilities, particularly rationality. Although the word has many senses, its meaning comes into focus when contrasted to the supernatural or to appeals to authority...
,
rationalistIn epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
and
scientificScience is in its broadest sense to any systematic knowledge-base or prescriptive practice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or predictable type of outcome...
materials and information through its website. Unedited interviews of some of Dawkins' video productions are made available by the
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and ScienceThe Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science is a non-profit organization founded by biologist Richard Dawkins in 2006. It is trusteed by Dawkins and Claire Enders in the United Kingdom along with Karen Owens in the United States...
.
Awards and recognition
Dawkins was awarded a
Doctor of ScienceDoctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, such as the UK, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and several Commonwealth...
by the University of Oxford in 1989. He holds
honorary doctoratesAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements...
in science from the
University of HuddersfieldThe University of Huddersfield is a university in the town of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It has around 20,000 students and is located near the town centre...
,
University of WestminsterThe University of Westminster is a university in London, formed in 1992 as a result of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Its antecedent institution, the Royal Polytechnic Institution, dated back to 1838.- Overview :The University of Westminster's headquarters is situated on Regent Street...
,
Durham UniversityDurham University is a university in Durham, England. It was founded as the University of Durham by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, the
University of HullThe University of Hull, also known as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull , a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The main campus is located on Cottingham Road in the north west of the city while a smaller campus is located in nearby Scarborough...
, and the
University of AntwerpThe University of Antwerp one of the major universities located in the city of Antwerp, Belgium. The name is sometimes abbreviated as UA.-History:...
, and honorary doctorates from the
Open UniversityThe Open University is the distance learning university founded and funded by the UK Government. It is notable for having an open entry policy, i.e. students' previous academic achievements are not taken into account for entry to most undergraduate courses...
, the
Vrije Universiteit BrusselThe Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
, and the University of Valencia. He holds honorary doctorates of letters from the
University of St AndrewsThe University of St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded between 1410 and 1413...
and the
Australian National UniversityThe Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a public teaching and research university located in Canberra, Australia, the federal capital city...
, and was elected Fellow of the
Royal Society of LiteratureThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by King George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
in 1997 and the
Royal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence...
in 2001. He is one of the patrons of the
Oxford University Scientific SocietyThe Oxford University Scientific Society is a student scientific society at the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1882 as the Oxford University Junior Scientific Club. It is one of the oldest undergraduate science societies in the world which are continually running.. It organizes talks on...
.
In 1987, Dawkins received a
Royal Society of LiteratureThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by King George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
award and a
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California since 1881. It is distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States...
Literary Prize for his book,
The Blind Watchmaker. In the same year, he received a
Sci. Tech Prize for Best Television Documentary Science Programme of the Year, for the BBC
Horizon episode entitled
The Blind Watchmaker. Asteroid
8331 Dawkins8331 Dawkins is a Main-belt Asteroid discovered on May 27, 1982 by C. S. Shoemaker and S. J. Bus at Palomar. The asteroid is named after the famous biologist, professor and author Richard Dawkins.- External links :*...
is named after Dawkins.
His other awards have included the
Zoological Society of LondonThe Zoological Society of London is a learned society founded in London in April 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Lord Auckland, Sir Humphry Davy, Robert Peel, Joseph Sabine, Nicholas Aylward Vigors along with various other nobility, clergy, eminent naturalists and gentlemen...
Silver Medal (1989), Finlay innovation award (1990), the Michael Faraday Award (1990), the Nakayama Prize (1994), the
American Humanist AssociationThe American Humanist Association is an educational organization in the United States that advances Humanism. "Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that...
's Humanist of the Year Award (1996), the fifth
International Cosmos PrizeThe International Cosmos Prize was established in 1993, commemorating Expo 90 in Osaka, Japan.The objective of the prize is to develop the basic concept of Expo 90, "The Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and Mankind."...
(1997), the
Kistler PrizeThe Kistler Prize is awarded annually to recognize original contributions "to the understanding of the connection between human heredity and human society," and includes a cash award of US $100,000 and a 200-gram gold medallion....
(2001), the
Medal of the Presidency of the Italian RepublicThe Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic is an award given at the annual conference of the Pio Manzu Institute to about fifteen people nominated by the centers International Scientific Committee, which is headed by former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev.Notable recipients include:*...
(2001), the Bicentennial Kelvin Medal of
The Royal Philosophical Society of GlasgowThe Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow was established in 1802, and is a learned society. Since 1994 its meetings have been held in the University of Strathclyde.-Archives:...
(2002) and the
Nierenberg PrizeThe Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest is given annually by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It was created through a gift of the family to honor the memory of William Nierenberg...
for Science in the Public Interest (2009).
Dawkins topped
ProspectProspect is a monthly British general interest magazine, specialising in politics and current affairs. Frequent topics include British, European, and US politics, social issues, art, literature, cinema, science, the media, history, philosophy, and psychology...
magazine's 2004 list of the top 100 public British intellectuals, as decided by the readers, receiving twice as many votes as the runner-up and placing high on the worldwide 2005 and 2008 listings of Top 100 Public Intellectuals Poll. He has been short-listed as a candidate in their 2008 follow-up poll. In 2005, the
HamburgHamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth-largest city in the European Union...
-based
Alfred Toepfer FoundationThe Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S. is a German foundation established in 1931 by the Hamburg merchant Alfred Toepfer. The foundation is committed to promoting European unification and ensuring cultural diversity and understanding between the countries of Europe.- History :The rich industrialist...
awarded him its
Shakespeare PrizeThe Shakespeare Prize was an annual prize for writing or performance awarded to a British citizen by the Hamburg Alfred Toepfer Foundation. First given by Alfred Toepfer in 1937 as an expression of his Anglophilia in the face of tense international conditions, the prize was awarded only twice...
in recognition of his "concise and accessible presentation of scientific knowledge". He won the
Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about ScienceThe Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science, named for its first recipient, Lewis Thomas, is an annual literary prize awarded by Rockefeller University to scientists deemed to have accomplished a significant literary achievement: it "recognizes scientists as poets"...
for 2006 and the Galaxy British Book Awards Author of the Year Award for 2007. In the same year, he was listed by
Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007, and was awarded the Deschner Award, named after German anti-clerical author
Karlheinz DeschnerKarl Heinrich Leopold Deschner , is a German researcher and writer who has achieved public attention in Europe for his thorough and fiercely critical treatment of Christianity in general and the Catholic Church in particular, as expressed in several articles and books, culminating in his opus The...
.
Since 2003, the
Atheist Alliance InternationalAtheist Alliance International is an alliance of 58 atheist organizations around the world, 46 of which are located in the United States.AAI was founded in 1991...
has awarded a prize during its annual conference, honouring an outstanding atheist whose work has done most to raise public awareness of atheism during that year. It is known as the Richard Dawkins Award, in honour of Dawkins' own work.
Personal life
On August 19, 1967, Dawkins married fellow ethologist
Marian StampMarian Ellina Stamp Dawkins is professor for animal behaviour at the University of Oxford, where she heads the Animal Behaviour Research Group, and currently vice-principal of Somerville College. She has published several books, one of which has been translated into German, and some peer-reviewed...
; they divorced in 1984. Later that same year, on June 1, Dawkins married Eve Barham − with whom he had a daughter, Juliet Emma Dawkins − but they too divorced, and Barham died of cancer on 28 February 1999. In 1992, he married actress
Lalla WardSarah Ward , self-described and often known as Lalla Ward, is an English actress, author and illustrator. As an actress, she is best known for playing the part of Romana in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who...
. Dawkins had met her through their mutual friend
Douglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer, dramatist, and musician. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a...
, who had previously worked with Ward on the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
science-fiction television programme
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
. Ward has illustrated over half of Dawkins' books and co-narrated the audio versions of two of his books,
The Ancestor's TaleThe Ancestor's Tale is a 2004 popular science book by Richard Dawkins, with contributions from Dawkins' research assistant Yan Wong. It follows the path of humans backwards through evolutionary history, meeting humanity's cousins as they converge on common ancestors...
and
The God DelusionThe God Delusion is a 2006 bestselling non-fiction book by British biologist Richard Dawkins, professorial fellow of New College, Oxford, and inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford....
.
Documentary films
- Nice Guys Finish First
Nice Guys Finish First is a 1986 documentary by Richard Dawkins which discusses selfishness and cooperation, arguing that evolution often favors co-operative behaviour, and focusing especially on the tit for tat strategy of the prisoner's dilemma game...
(1987)
- The Blind Watchmaker
The Blind Watchmaker is a 1986 book by Richard Dawkins in which he presents an explanation of, and argument for, the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. He also presents arguments to refute certain criticisms made on his previous book The Selfish Gene...
(1987)
- Growing Up in the Universe
Growing Up in the Universe was a series of lectures given by Richard Dawkins as part of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, in which he discussed the evolution of life in the universe....
(1991)
- Break the Science Barrier
Break the Science Barrier is a television documentary written and presented by Richard Dawkins, which promotes the viewpoint that scientific endeavour is not only useful, but also intellectually stimulating and exciting...
(1996)
- The Root of All Evil?
The Root of All Evil? is a television documentary, written and presented by Richard Dawkins, in which he argues that humanity would be better off without religion or belief in God....
(2006)
- The Enemies of Reason
The Enemies of Reason is a two-part television documentary, written and presented by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. From the makers: Is it rational that the dead can communicate with the living and give sound advice on how they should live their lives? What about sticking pins into your...
(2007)
- The Genius of Charles Darwin
The Genius of Charles Darwin is a three-part television documentary, written and presented by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins.It was first shown in August 2008 on Channel 4...
(2008)
Books about Dawkins
See also: Responses to
The God Delusion
- Kim Sterelny
Kim Sterelny is an Australian philosopher and professor of philosophy in the Research School of Social Sciences at Australian National University and Victoria University of Wellington. He is the winner of several international prizes in the philosophy of science, and editor of Biology and Philosophy...
, Dawkins vs. GouldDawkins vs. Gould: Survival of the Fittest is a book by Kim Sterelny about the differing views of biologists Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould. When first published in 2001 it became an international bestseller...
: survival of the fittest (2001) ISBN 1-84046-780-0 Also ISBN 978-1840467-80-2
- Alister McGrath
Alister Edgar McGrath is a Christian theologian, who holds both a DPhil and an earned Doctor of Divinity degree from Oxford. He is noted for his work in historical, systematic and scientific theology....
, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of LifeDawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life is a book by Alister McGrath, a molecular biophysicist and theologian who is currently Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University. The book, published in 2004, aims to refute claims about religion made by another well-known professor at...
(2005)
- Alan Grafen
Alan Grafen is a Scottish ethologist and evolutionary biologist. He currently teaches and undertakes research at St John's College, Oxford. Along with regular contributions to scientific journals, Grafen is known publicly for his work as co-editor of the 2006 festschrift Richard Dawkins: How a...
and Mark RidleyMark Ridley may refer to:* Mark Ridley , English physician and mathematician* Mark Ridley , English zoologist* Mark Ridley-Thomas, California politician...
, Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist Changed the Way We ThinkRichard Dawkins: How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think is a festschrift of 25 essays written in recognition of the life and work of Richard Dawkins. It was published in 2006, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the publication of The Selfish Gene. A wide range of topics are covered from...
: reflections by scientists, writers, and philosophers (2006)
- David Stove
David Charles Stove , was an Australian philosopher of science.His work in philosophy of science included detailed criticisms of David Hume's inductive skepticism, as well as what he regarded as the irrationalism of his disciplinary contemporaries Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, Imre Lakatos, and Paul...
and Roger KimballRoger Kimball is a conservative U.S. art critic and social commentator. He first gained prominence in the 1990s with the publication of his book, Tenured Radicals: How Politics Has Corrupted Higher Education...
Darwinian Fairytales: Selfish Genes, Errors of Heredity and Other Fables of Evolution (2006) ISBN 1594031401
- Kathleen Jones
Kathleen Jones was Professor of Social Policy and Head of Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, 1965-87 and she has been Emeritus Professor of Social Policy since 1987....
, Challenging Richard Dawkins (2007) ISBN 1853118419
- John F. Haught, God and the new atheism : a critical response to Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens (2008) ISBN 066423304X
- Vox Day, The Irrational Atheist
The Irrational Atheist: Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchensis a 2008 book by American writer and technology entrepreneur Vox Day, a weekly columnist on WorldNetDaily.-Description:...
: Dissecting the unholy trinity of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens (2008) ISBN 1933771364
- Fern Elsdon-Bake, The Selfish Genius
The Selfish Genius: How Richard Dawkins Rewrote Darwin's Legacy is a book on the History and philosophy of science of Evolutionary Theory by Fern Elsdon-Baker, published in 2009 the year that celebrates the 150th anniversary of on the Origin of Species...
(2009)
External links
General
- Official website - Est. 2006, forum with c. 70K registered users as of Oct. 2009
- Books via Google Book Search
Google Book Search is a service from Google that searches the full text of books that Google scans, converts to text using optical character recognition, and stores in its digital database. The service was formerly known as Google Print when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October...
- A Dawkins fan website
- Richard Dawkins' page on Academia.edu
- Dawkins' Huffington Post articles 2005-2008
- Columnist profile at The Guardian
The Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
Selected media
- Video interviews with Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television interviewer and journalist.Emmy Award-winning Charlie Rose entered television journalism full-time in 1974, when he became the managing editor of the PBS series Bill Moyers' International Report...
2000, 2005
- Speaker profile via TED
TED is an academic organization owned by The Sapling Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation. TED is well-known for its annual, invitation-only conference devoted to "ideas worth spreading"...
video talks in 2002 - "On militant atheism" and 2005 - "Queerer than we can suppose: the strangeness of science"
- Video: Profile/: Richard Dawkins: The Devil's Champlain? by Brian Leith, BBC World 1/3, 2/3, 3/3 2003
- Search for all media via Dawkins web site (checkboxes available for other forms of media)
- Video interviews on Darwin, Evolution and God – 2009 around Darwin Day
Darwin Day is a recently instituted celebration intended to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809. The day is used to highlight Darwin's contribution to science and to promote science in general.-History:...
on National Geographic Channel (UK)The National Geographic Channel is a television channel that features documentaries produced by the National Geographic Society. It features some programming similar to that on the Discovery Channel such as nature and science documentaries. The channel was launched in Europe in September 1997 and...
- Official channel at YouTube
YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google...