The Blind Watchmaker
Cover illustration by the zoologist Desmond Morris
Author	Richard Dawkins
Subject(s)	Evolutionary biology
Publisher	Norton & Company, Inc
Publication date	1986
ISBN	ISBN 0-393-31570-3
Preceded by	The Extended Phenotype
Followed by	River Out of Eden

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. (Both books are intended to popularise the gene-centric view of evolution.) This image is a book cover. ... Dr Desmond Morris (born 24 January 1928 in the village of Purton, UK) is most famous for his work as a zoologist and ethologist. ... Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS (born March 26, 1941) is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer who holds the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... ISBN redirects here. ... A cathedral termite mount – a small animal with a very noticeable extended phenotype The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene is a 1982 book by British ethologist Richard Dawkins. ... River out of Eden (subtitled A Darwinian View of Life) is a 1995 popular science book by Richard Dawkins. ... Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS (born March 26, 1941) is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer who holds the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... For other uses, see Natural selection (disambiguation). ... The Selfish Gene is a book on evolution by Richard Dawkins, published in 1976. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

In his choice of the title for this book, Dawkins makes reference to the watchmaker analogy made famous by William Paley in his book Natural Theology. Paley, arguing more than fifty years before Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, held that the complexity of living organisms was evidence of the existence of a divine creator by drawing a parallel with the way in which the existence of a watch compels belief in an intelligent watchmaker. Dawkins, in contrasting the differences between human design and its potential for planning with the workings of natural selection, therefore dubbed evolutionary processes as analogous to a blind watchmaker. The watchmaker analogy, or watchmaker argument, is a teleological argument for the existence of God. ... William Paley William Paley (July 1743 – May 25, 1805) was an English divine, Christian apologist, utilitarian, and philosopher. ... For other people of the same surname, and places and things named after Charles Darwin, see Darwin. ... Charles Darwins Origin of Species (publ. ... This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

In developing his argument that natural selection can explain the complex adaptations of organisms, Dawkins' first concern is to illustrate the difference between the potential for the development of complexity of pure randomness as opposed to that of randomness coupled with cumulative selection. He demonstrates this by the example of the Weasel program. Dawkins then describes his experiences with a more sophisticated computer model of artificial selection implemented in a program also called The Blind Watchmaker, which was sold separately as a teaching aid. Hamlet: Do you see yonder cloud thats almost in shape of a camel? Polonius: By the mass, and tis like a camel, indeed. ... It has been suggested that simulation software be merged into this article or section. ...

In an appendix to a later edition of the book (1996), Dawkins explains how his experiences with computer models led him to a greater appreciation of the role of embryological constraints on natural selection. In particular, he recognised that certain patterns of embryological development could lead to the success of a related group of species in filling varied ecological niches, though he continued to maintain that this should not be confused with the ideas associated with group selection. He dubbed this insight the evolution of evolvability. Views of a Foetus in the Womb, Leonardo da Vinci, ca. ... For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ...

After arguing that evolution is capable of explaining the origin of complexity, near the end of the book Dawkins uses this to argue against the existence of God: "a deity capable of engineering all the organised complexity in the world, either instantaneously or by guiding evolution, . . . must already have been vastly complex in the first place . . ." He calls this "postulating organised complexity without offering an explanation." This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

In its preface, Dawkins states that he wrote the book "to persuade the reader, not just that the Darwinian world-view happens to be true, but that it is the only known theory that could, in principle, solve the mystery of our existence."

References

• Dawkins, Richard [1986] (1996). The Blind Watchmaker. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.. ISBN 0-393-31570-3. 

Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS (born March 26, 1941) is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer who holds the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. ...

External links

• Blind Watchmaker Applet (the "Blind Watchmaker" biomorph program written in Java)
• The Blind Watchmaker, Jeremy Taylor and Richard Dawkins, BBC Horizon, 1987, television documentary

v • d • e Richard Dawkins
Books	The Selfish Gene (1976) · The Extended Phenotype (1982) · The Blind Watchmaker (1986) · River out of Eden (1995) · Climbing Mount Improbable (1996) · Unweaving the Rainbow (1998) · A Devil's Chaplain (2003) · The Ancestor's Tale (2004) · The God Delusion (2006)
Related works	Growing Up in the Universe (1991) · Break the Science Barrier (1996) · The Atheism Tapes (2004) · Beyond Belief (2006) · Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think (2006) · The Root of All Evil? (2006) · The Enemies of Reason (2007) · The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing (2008)
See also	Meme · Gerin oil · Foundation for Reason and Science · Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit · Lalla Ward