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Encyclopedia > The God Delusion
The God Delusion
Author Dawkins, Richard
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Subject(s) Religion
Genre(s) Science
Publisher Bantam Books
Publication date 2006
Media type Hardcover, Paperback, Audio book
ISBN ISBN 0-618-68000-4
Preceded by The Ancestor's Tale

The God Delusion is a 2006 book by British biologist Richard Dawkins, holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. Image File history File links The_God_Delusion_UK.jpg‎ Book cover obtained from: http://images-eu. ... 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. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Bantam Books is a major U.S. publishing house owned by Random House and is part of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group. ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Cassette recording of Patrick OBrians The Mauritius Command An audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud. ... ISBN redirects here. ... The Ancestors Tale cover The Ancestors Tale (subtitled A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life) is a 2004 popular science book by Richard Dawkins, with contributions from Dawkins research assistant Yan Wong. ... 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. ... Charles Simonyi (Hungarian: Simonyi Károly; born September 10, 1948, Budapest) is a computer software executive who, as head of Microsofts application software group, oversaw the creation of Microsofts flagship office applications. ... The University of Oxford (informally Oxford University), located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ...


In The God Delusion, Dawkins contends that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist and that belief in a god qualifies as a delusion, which he defines as a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. He is sympathetic to Robert Pirsig's observation in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance that "when one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion."[1] This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... See also: List of deities Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A delusion is commonly defined as a fixed false belief and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false, fanciful or derived from deception. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Robert Maynard Pirsig (born September 6, 1928) is a popular American novelist. ... Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is the first of Robert M. Pirsigs texts in which he explores a Metaphysics of quality. ...


As of November 2007, the English version of The God Delusion had sold over 1.5 million copies and had been translated to 31 other languages.[2] It was ranked #2 on the Amazon.com bestsellers' list in November 2006.[3][4] In early December 2006, it reached #4 in the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best Seller list after nine weeks on the list.[5] It remained on the list for 51 weeks until September 30, 2007.[6] It has attracted widespread commentary, with several books written in response. Amazon. ... The New York Times Best Seller List is a weekly chart in The New York Times newspaper that keeps track of the best-selling books of the week. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Contents

Background

Dawkins had argued against creationist explanations of life in his previous works on evolution. The theme of The Blind Watchmaker, published in 1986, is that evolution can explain the apparent design in nature. In The God Delusion he expands upon this argument against the existence of God. Creationism is a religious belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe were created in their original form by a deity or deities (often the Abrahamic God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam), whose existence is presupposed. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... 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. ... Look up argument in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


Dawkins had long wanted to write a book openly criticising religion, but his publisher had advised against it. By the year 2006, his publisher had warmed to the idea. Dawkins attributes this change of mind to "four years of Bush".[7] By that time, a number of authors, including Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, who together with Dawkins were labelled "The Unholy Trinity" by Robert Weitzel, had already written books openly attacking religion.[8] These books did well on best-seller lists, and have spawned an industry of religious responses.[9] According to the Amazon.co.uk website, the book led to a 50% growth in their sales of books on religion and spirituality (including anti-religious books such as The God Delusion and God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) and a 120% increase in the sales of the Bible.[10] An atheist sign criticizing religion by the Connecticut Valley Atheists in Rockvilles Central Park, Vernon in December 2007. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Sam Harris (born 1967) is an American non-fiction writer. ... Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British-American author, journalist and literary critic. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Amazon. ... God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (published in the United Kingdom as God is Not Great: The Case Against Religion) is a non-fiction book by author and journalist Christopher Hitchens. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ...


Synopsis

The book contains ten chapters. The first few build a case that there is no God, while the rest discuss religion and morality. It is dedicated to the memory of Dawkins' late friend Douglas Adams,[11] whom Dawkins quotes as having said, "isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ...


Dawkins writes that The God Delusion contains four "consciousness-raising" messages:

  • Atheists can be happy, balanced, moral, and intellectually fulfilled.
  • Natural selection and similar scientific theories are superior to a "God hypothesis" — the illusion of intelligent design — in explaining the living world and the cosmos.
  • Children should not be labelled by their parents' religion. Terms like "Catholic child" or "Muslim child" should make people flinch.
  • Atheists should be proud, not apologetic, because atheism is evidence of a healthy, independent mind.[1]

Atheist redirects here. ... For other uses, see Natural selection (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Intelligent design (disambiguation). ...

The God Hypothesis

Since there are a number of different theistic ideas relating to the nature of God(s), Dawkins defines the concept of God that he wishes to address early in the book. He coins the term "Einsteinian religion", referring to Einstein's use of "God", as a metaphor for nature or the mysteries of the universe.[12] He makes a distinction between this "Einsteinian religion" and the general theistic idea of God as the creator of the universe who should be worshipped.[13] This becomes an important theme in the book, which he calls the God Hypothesis.[14] He maintains that this idea of God is a valid hypothesis, having effects in the physical universe, and like any other hypothesis can be tested and falsified.[15] Thus, Dawkins rejects the common view that science and religion rule over non-overlapping magisteria. “Einstein” redirects here. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Taken during a Hindu prayer ceremony on the eve of Diwali. ... Religious and scientific modes of knowledge Generally speaking, religion and science use different methods in their effort to ascertain Truth. ... Stephen Jay Gould (September 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. ...


Dawkins surveys briefly the main philosophical arguments in favour of God's existence. Of the many philosophical proofs that he discusses, he singles out the Argument from Design for lengthy consideration. Dawkins concludes that evolution by natural selection can explain apparent design in nature.[1] Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, and others. ... A teleological argument (or an argument from design) is an argument for the existence of God based on evidence of design in nature. ... Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution by natural selection. ...


He writes that one of the greatest challenges to the human intellect has been to explain "how the complex, improbable design in the universe arises", and argues that there are two competing explanations:

  1. A theory involving a designer, that is, postulating a complex being to account for the complexity that we see.
  2. A theory that explains how from simple origins and principles, something more complex can emerge.

This is the basic set-up of his argument against the existence of God, the Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit,[16] where he argues that the first attempt is self-refuting, and the second approach is the way forward.[17] The Ultimate Boeing 747 argument has been known to go straight over peoples heads The Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit is an argument for the improbability of the existence of God introduced by Richard Dawkins in chapter 4 Why there almost certainly is no God of his book The God...


Religion and morality

The second half of the book begins by exploring the roots of religion and seeking an explanations for its ubiquity across human cultures. Dawkins advocates the "theory of religion as an accidental by-product – a misfiring of something useful"[18] as for example the mind's employment of intentional stance. Dawkins suggests that the theory of memes, and human susceptibility to religious memes in particular, can explain how religions might spread like "mind viruses" across societies.[19] The Intentional Stance is a theory of mental content proposed, developed and championed by the American philosopher Daniel C. Dennett. ... Meme, (rhymes with cream and comes from Greek root with the meaning of memory and its derivative mimeme), is the term given to a unit of information that replicates from brains and inanimate stores of information, such as books and computers, to other brains or stores of information. ...


He then turns to the subject of morality, maintaining that we do not need religion to be good. Instead, our morality has a Darwinian explanation: altruistic genes, selected through the process of evolution, give people natural empathy. He asks, "would you commit murder, rape or robbery if you knew that no God existed?" He argues that very few people would answer "yes", undermining the claim that a God is needed to make us behave morally. In support of this view, he surveys the history of morality, arguing that there is a moral Zeitgeist that continually evolves in society. As it progresses, this moral consensus influences how religious leaders interpret their holy writings. Thus, Dawkins states, morality does not originate from the Bible, rather our moral progress informs what part of the Bible Christians accept and what they now dismiss.[20] Morality (from the Latin manner, character, proper behavior) has three principal meanings. ... Charles Darwin Darwinism is a term for the underlying theory in those ideas of Charles Darwin concerning evolution and natural selection. ... The Moral Zeitgeist is a term used by some atheists to describe the evolution of morality. ...


The God Delusion is not just a defence of atheism, but it also goes on the offensive against religion. Dawkins considers this hostility justified because he sees religion as subverting science, fostering fanaticism, encouraging bigotry against homosexuals, and influencing society in other negative ways.[21] He is most outraged about the indoctrination of children. He equates the religious indoctrination of children by parents and teachers in faith schools to a form of mental abuse. Dawkins considers the labels "Muslim child" or a "Catholic child" equally misapplied as the descriptions "Marxist child" or a "Tory child", as he wonders how a young child can be considered developed enough to have such independent views on the cosmos and humanity's place within it. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... A parochial school (also known as a faith school or a sect school) is a type of school which engages in religious education in addition to conventional education. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... For other uses, see Tory (disambiguation). ...


The book concludes with the question whether religion, despite its alleged problems, fills a "much needed gap", giving consolation and inspiration to people who need it. According to Dawkins, these needs are much better filled by non-religious means such as philosophy and science. He argues that an atheistic worldview is life-affirming in a way that religion, with its unsatisfying "answers" to life's mysteries, could never be. An appendix gives addresses for those "needing support in escaping religion".


Critical reception

While the book was published with endorsements from notable intellectuals, such as Nobel laureate and co-discoverer of the structure of DNA James D. Watson, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, as well as popular writers of fiction and the illusionists Penn and Teller,[22] it received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Metacritic reported the book had an average score of 59 out of 100, based on 22 reviews.[23] The book was nominated for Best Book at the British Book Awards, where Richard Dawkins won the Author of the Year award.[24] It has been controversial, and has provoked responses from both religious and atheist commentators.[25] In the 2007 paperback edition, Dawkins responds to many of the criticisms that these reviewers raise.[26] For other people named James Watson, see James Watson (disambiguation). ... Steven Pinker Steven Arthur Pinker (born September 18, 1954) is a prominent Canadian-born American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and popular science writer known for his spirited and wide-ranging advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind. ... Penn (left) & Teller Penn and Teller are a two-man magic and comedy team, comprised of Penn Jillette and Teller. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... The British Book Awards are given annually and promoted by the UK publishing industry trade journal Publishing News. ...


Philosophy and theology

Main article: Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit#Assessment and criticism of the argument

Alvin Plantinga,[27] Anthony Kenny,[28] Thomas Nagel,[29], Michael Ruse,[30] and other philosophers have responded to the arguments of the book about the existence of God, especially Dawkins' argument that God almost certainly does not exist, the Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit. Richard Swinburne has responded to parts of The God Delusion that interact with Swinburne's writings.[31] The Ultimate Boeing 747 argument has been known to go straight over peoples heads The Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit is an argument for the improbability of the existence of God introduced by Richard Dawkins in chapter 4 Why there almost certainly is no God of his book The God... Alvin Carl Plantinga (born 15 November 1932 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) is a contemporary American philosopher known for his work in epistemology, metaphysics, the philosophy of religion and modest support of intelligent design. ... Sir Anthony John Patrick Kenny FBA (born Liverpool, 16 March 1931) is an English philosopher whose interests lie in the philosophy of mind, ancient and scholastic philosophy, the philosophy of Wittgenstein and the philosophy of religion. ... Thomas Nagel (born July 4, 1937, in Belgrade, Serbia) is University Professor of Philosophy and Law at New York University and member of the Board of Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. ... Michael Ruse (born June 21, 1940 in Birmingham, England) is a philosopher of science, a professor of philosophy and zoology largely concerned with the argument between creationism and evolutionary biology. ... Richard G. Swinburne (born December 26, 1934) is an eminent British professor and philosopher primarily interested in the philosophy of religion and philosophy of science. ...


Plantinga writes that Dawkins' argument is that because the Universe has so much information in it, a hypothetical creating God would have to be enormously complex and thus enormously improbable. He states that Dawkins does not support this assertion without already assuming materialism. Plantinga concludes that the book's argument "really doesn't give even the slightest reason for thinking belief in God mistaken, let alone a delusion".[27] In philosophy, materialism is that form of physicalism which holds that the only thing that can truly be said to exist is matter; that fundamentally, all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions; that matter is the only substance. ...


Some reviewers were highly critical of Dawkins' lack of scholarship on theology and the philosophy of religion. Dawkins is explicitly dismissive of theology in the God Delusion, and in the words of John Cornwell "there is hardly a serious work of philosophy of religion cited in his extensive bibliography".[32] This sentiment was echoed by other reviewers, from theologians, such as Alister McGrath,[33] to scientists otherwise sympathetic to Dawkins' position, such as H. Allen Orr.[34] One of the most emphatic formulations of this objection was by Marxist literary critic Terry Eagleton in the London Review of Books:[35] Philosophy of religion is the rational study of the meaning and justification ( or rebuttal) of fundamental religious claims, particularly about the nature and existence of God (or gods, or the divine). ... John Cornwell is an English journalist and writer, known particularly for his science writing and books on the Papacy. ... Alister E. McGrath (b. ... H. Allen Orr is an Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester He is an evolutionary geneticist with several broad interests. ... Terry Eagleton (born in Salford, Lancashire (now Greater Manchester), England, on February 22, 1943) is a British literary critic and philosopher. ... The London Review of Books (or LRB) is a twice-monthly British literary magazine. ...

What, one wonders, are Dawkins's views on the epistemological differences between Aquinas and Duns Scotus? Has he read Eriugena on subjectivity, Rahner on grace or Moltmann on hope? Has he even heard of them? Or does he imagine like a bumptious young barrister that you can defeat the opposition while being complacently ignorant of its toughest case? Theory of knowledge redirects here: for other uses, see theory of knowledge (disambiguation) Epistemology (from Greek επιστήμη - episteme, knowledge + λόγος, logos) or theory of knowledge is a branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 - March 7, 1274) was a Catholic philosopher and theologian in the scholastic tradition, who gave birth to the Thomistic school of philosophy, which was long the primary philosophical approach of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Blessed John Duns Scotus (c. ... Eriugena commemorated on a Irish banknote, issued 1976-1993 Johannes Scotus Eriugena (ca. ... Karl Rahner in 1975. ... Jürgen Moltmann (born April 8, 1926) is a German Protestant theologian. ...

Other reviewers, however, praised Dawkins' argumentation. Australian philosopher Russell Blackford wrote that although the rebuttals of theistic arguments are not as extensive as those written by professional philosophers of religion, the book is far from dumbed down:[36] Russell Blackford is an Australian writer, philosopher, and critic, based in Melbourne, Victoria. ...

Dawkins no doubt simplifies at times, or makes debatable points; importantly, however, he does not mislead the reader or commit any obvious blunders (at least, I could find none). This is extraordinarily impressive in a work of such vast ambition and interdisciplinary scope.

Dawkins himself replies to the charge of inadequate scholarship in the preface to the new edition of the book. He states that he only considered thinkers who actually argue for God's existence, rather than just assume it, and asks, "Do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in leprechauns?"[37] He thereby endorses PZ Myers' analogy of the "Courtier's reply",[38] that being expected to debate the finer points of religious scholarship as an atheist is like having to have read "learned tomes on ruffled pantaloons and silken underwear" before claiming that the Emperor is, in fact, naked.[39] This article is about the creature in Irish mythology. ... Paul Zachary PZ Myers (born March 9, 1957) is an American biology professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris and a science blogger via his blog, Pharyngula. ... -1...


Polemicism

American physicist Lawrence M. Krauss, writing in Nature, says that although a "fan" of Dawkins' science writing, he wishes that Dawkins "had continued to play to his strengths". Krauss suggests that an unrelenting attack upon people's beliefs might be less productive than "positively demonstrating how the wonders of nature can suggest a world without God that is nevertheless both complete and wonderful." Krauss is disappointed by the first part of the book, but quite positive about the latter part starting from Dawkins' discussion of morality. He remarks, "Perhaps there can be no higher praise than to say that I am certain I will remember and borrow many examples from this book in my own future discussions." In particular, he praises the treatment of religion and childhood, although refraining from using the term "child abuse" himself.[40] Lawrence M. Krauss Lawrence M. Krauss (born May 27, 1954) is Professor of Physics, Professor of Astronomy, and former Chair of the Physics Department at Case Western Reserve University. ... Nature is a prominent scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869. ... An atheist sign criticizing religion by the Connecticut Valley Atheists in Rockvilles Central Park, Vernon in December 2007. ...


Writing in the Guardian, Stephen D. Unwin, author of The Probability of God, which is the focus of Dawkins' criticisms of Bayesian methods for the proof of God's existence, notes that Dawkins' views are "hardly shocking as certainty is the position of almost all participants in the God debate."[41] Stephen D.Unwins book The Probability of God argues that a mathematical equation developed by Thomas Bayes can be used to calculate the probability that God exists. ...


Skeptic Michael Shermer, describes the book as "a powerful polemic against the infusion of religion into nearly every nook and cranny of public life." But Shermer considers The God Delusion much more than a polemic. He stresses the consciousness-raising messages of the book, and praises its latter part, describing the closing chapter as "a tribute to the power and beauty of science, which no living writer does better." However, he was put off by the provocative title and Dawkins' derogatory references to religious believers. Also, he is not convinced by Dawkins' argument that without religion, there would be "no suicide bombings, no 9/11, ...", suggesting that many of the evils that atheists attribute to religion alone are primarily driven by political motives. Nevertheless, he concludes that the book "deserves multiple readings, not just as an important work of science, but as a great work of literature."[42] Michael Shermer Michael Shermer (born September 8, 1954 in Glendale, California) is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating and debunking pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. ...


Joan Bakewell reviewed the book for The Guardian, stating "Dawkins comes roaring forth in the full vigour of his powerful arguments, laying into fallacies and false doctrines", and suggesting that it is a timely book: "These are now political matters. Around the world communities are increasingly defined as Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and living peaceably together is ever harder to sustain....Dawkins is right to be not only angry but alarmed. Religions have the secular world running scared. This book is a clarion call to cower no longer."[43] Joan Bakewell (born Joan Dawson Rowlands on April 16, 1933) is a British journalist and television presenter. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... This article is about secularism. ...


Michael Skapinker in the Financial Times, while finding that "Dawkins' attack on the creationists is devastatingly effective", considers him "maddeningly inconsistent." He argues that, since Dawkins accepts that current theories about the universe (such as quantum theory) may be "already knocking at the door of the unfathomable" and that the universe may be "not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose", "the thought of how limited our comprehension is should introduce a certain diffidence into our attempted refutations of those who think they have the answer".[44] The Financial Times (FT) is a British international business newspaper. ... This box:      Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger, founders of Quantum Mechanics. ...


Mary Wakefield writes in the Daily Telegraph that Dawkins fails to understand why people believe in God, adding, "I'll eat my Sunday hat if this book persuades even the most hesitant half-believer to renounce religion".[45] This article concerns the British newspaper. ...


To the claim that the book is written as a polemic, and that Dawkins is being shrill and intolerant, he argues that this only seems to be so in comparison with most discussions on the subject of religion. Religion is traditionally seen as a subject that should be discussed in extremely polite terms, but Dawkins does not understand why it should receive such a special status. He compares his work with restaurant reviews to show that his writing is not rude in comparison.[26] Look up Polemic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


Over the charge that his book is only likely to be read by atheists and is unlikely to convince anyone to change their mind, Dawkins says that many people are secretly interested in atheism but are worried about admitting to this and discussing it. He also says that, even if his book were only to be read by atheists, it could still provide for an exchange of ideas.[26]


Religion as consolation or source of evil

Andrew Brown writes a critical review titled "Dawkins the dogmatist" in Prospect in which he considers that "In his broad thesis, Dawkins is right. Religions are potentially dangerous, and in their popular forms profoundly irrational". He criticises, however, the assertion that "atheists ... don't do evil things in the name of atheism" and notes that "under Stalin almost the entire Orthodox priesthood were exterminated simply for being priests." Furthermore, he cites Robert Pape[46] that religious zealotry is neither necessary nor sufficient for suicide bombers, and concludes that the book is "one long argument from professorial incredulity."[47] This article is about the current affairs magazine. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ... The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is a body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death in addition to the attacks primary purpose (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... The argument from ignorance, also known as argumentum ad ignorantiam or argument by lack of imagination, is a logical fallacy wherein a claim is made that lack of evidence for one scenario is instead evidence for another scenario, without additional evidence for the other scenario. ...


Nobel-prize winning biologist David Baltimore welcomes the book in American Scientist as a reaction to the irrationality that he sees in US social and political life. Religion dominates the news, he writes, be it jihad, opposition to stem-cell research, or teaching intelligent design. He finds the title of The God Delusion worth savoring as it conveys the core of Dawkins' argument, and the book worth reading for its wide-ranging discussion of religion. However, he states that while Dawkins' arguments against religion are much based on evolution, Dawkins does not come to terms with the "many scientists who believe both that evolution is a natural process over billions of years and that there is a God". Thus, Baltimore maintains that the focus of the book is on those who disbelieve evolution and are therefore fundamentalists. In conclusion, he says he is glad that Dawkins wrote this book at a time when, as he opines, "In the United States, there is an increasingly pervasive assumption that Christianity is our state religion."[48] David Baltimore (b. ... American Scientist (ISSN 0003-0996) is an illustrated bimonthly magazine about science and technology. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... There is widespread controversy over stem cell research largely due to techniques used in the creation and usage of human embryonic stem cells. ... For other uses, see Intelligent design (disambiguation). ... South America Europe Middle East Africa Asia Oceania Demography of religions by country Full list of articles on religion by country Religion Portal         Nations with state religions:  Buddhism  Islam  Shia Islam  Sunni Islam  Orthodox Christianity  Protestantism  Roman Catholic Church A state religion (also called an official religion, established church...


Marek Kohn in The Independent suggests that in this book "passions are running high, arguments are compressed and rhetoric inflated. The allusion to Chamberlain, implicitly comparing religion to the Nazi regime, is par for the course." He also argues that "another, perhaps simpler, explanation for the universality and antiquity of religion is that it has conferred evolutionary benefits on its practitioners that outweigh the costs. Without more discussion, it is not clear that Dawkins' account should be preferred to the hypothesis that religion may have been adaptive in the same way that making stone tools was."[49] Marek Kohn Marek Kohn is a British science writer on evolution, biology and society. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... This article is about the British Prime Minister. ...


In the Daily Telegraph, Kenan Malik commends Dawkins' intellectual case for atheism, but believes that Dawkins misunderstands what makes religion attractive to believers, and exaggerates its role in modern conflicts. Malik is skeptical that a world without religion, as John Lennon asks us to imagine, would be as utopian as Dawkins paints it. He concludes by stating "if you want an understanding of evolution or an argument for atheism, there are few better guides than Richard Dawkins. But treat with extreme caution the pronouncements of any one who takes his political cue from an ex-Beatle."[50] Kenan Malik is an Indian-born British writer, lecturer and broadcaster, trained in neurobiology and the history of science. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ...


Daniel Dennett, a prominent American philosopher and author, wrote a review for Free Inquiry, where he states that he and Dawkins agree about most matters, "but on one central issue we are not (yet) of one mind: Dawkins is quite sure that the world would be a better place if religion were hastened to extinction and I am still agnostic about that." In Dennett's view many "avowedly religious people" are actually atheist, but find religious metaphors and rituals useful. However, he applauds Dawkins' effort to "raise consciousness in people who are trapped in a religion and can't even imagine life without it." He continues by stating his regret that neither he himself nor Dawkins deal with theist arguments as patiently as they might, noting that "Serious argument depends on mutual respect, and this is often hard to engender when disagreements turn vehement", but concludes by suggesting that "Perhaps some claims should just be laughed out of court."[51] Daniel Clement Dennett (born March 28, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts) 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. ... Free Inquiry is a bi-monthly journal of secular humanist opinion and commentary, published by the Council for Secular Humanism. ... The term agnosticism and the related agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. ...


Dawkins repeats his long-standing opposition to the argument that the masses need religion. He considers it to be patronising and elitist to hold that intellectuals can be trusted with atheism but the majority of people need to believe in religion. Dawkins has been involved in the popularisation of science, and he believes that this is a much better support for society than religion.[26]


Moderate religion and fundamentalism

Writing in Harper's, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson criticises the "pervasive exclusion of historical memory in Dawkins's view of science," with particular reference to scientific eugenic theories and practices. She argues that Dawkins has a superficial knowledge of the Bible and accuses him of comparing only the best of science with the worst of religion: "if religion is to be blamed for the fraud done in its name, then what of science? Is it to be blamed for the Piltdown hoax, for the long-credited deceptions having to do with cloning in South Korea? If by 'science' is meant authentic science, then 'religion' must mean authentic religion, granting the difficulties in arriving at these definitions." Robinson suggests that Dawkins' arguments are not properly called scientific but are reminiscent of logical positivism, notwithstanding Dawkins' "simple-as-that, plain-as-day approach to the grandest questions, unencumbered by doubt, consistency, or countervailing information."[52] An issue of Harpers Magazine from 1905 Another issue, from November 2004 Harpers Magazine (or simply Harpers) is a monthly magazine of politics and culture. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ... Marilynne Robinson (born 1947) is an American author. ... The word eugenics (from the Greek εὐγενής, for well-born) was coined in 1883 by Sir Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin, to refer to the study and use of selective breeding (of animals or humans) to improve a species over generations, specifically in regards to hereditary features. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... The portrait painted by John Cooke in 1915. ... Hwang Woo-suk (황우석) (born 29 January 1953) is a South Korean biomedical scientist. ... Logical positivism grew from the discussions of Moritz Schlicks Vienna Circle and Hans Reichenbachs Berlin Circle in the 1920s and 1930s. ...


The Economist praised the book: "Everyone should read it. Atheists will love Mr Dawkins's incisive logic and rapier wit and theists will find few better tests of the robustness of their faith. Even agnostics, who claim to have no opinion on God, may be persuaded that their position is an untenable waffle." The review focuses on Dawkins' critiques of the influence of religion upon politics and the use of religion to insulate political positions from criticism. "The problem, as Mr. Dawkins sees it, is that religious moderates make the world safe for fundamentalists, by promoting faith as a virtue and by enforcing an overly pious respect for religion."[53] The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ...


To those who claim that Dawkins misrepresents religious people and argue that fanatics are a small minority, Dawkins replies that this is not true, and that intolerant fanatics have huge influence in the world.[26]


Dawkins has been described as an "atheist fundamentalist". He rejects this label, saying fundamentalism implies a belief system that is impervious to change, while his atheism is based on the scientific method of reasoning. He says that if new scientific evidence were found that disproved evolution, then he would willingly give up his belief in evolution and natural selection, whilst a genuine fundamentalist would remain firm in his/her belief no matter how much opposing evidence came to light.[26] Look up fundamentalism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... -1... This article is about evolution in biology. ... For other uses, see Natural selection (disambiguation). ...


Legal repercussions in Turkey

The Turkish edition of the book, published by Kuzey Yayınları
The Turkish edition of the book, published by Kuzey Yayınları

In Turkey, where the book has sold at least 6000 copies,[54] a prosecutor launched a probe into whether The God Delusion is "an attack on holy values" following a complaint in November 2007. The Turkish publisher and translator, Erol Karaaslan, faced a prison sentence if convicted of inciting religious hatred and insulting religious values.[55] As is also the case for other controversies in Turkey, such as that involving Orhan Pamuk's statement on the Armenian Genocide, Sylvia Tiryaki points out that "an investigation of this kind on behalf of a claim from a citizen can be opened – but also closed as fast as possible – in any other country."[54] Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born on June 7, 1952 in Istanbul) is a Nobel Prize-winning Turkish novelist. ... Armenian Genocide photo. ...


In April 2008, the court acquitted the defendant. In ruling out the need to confiscate copies of the book, the presiding judge stated that banning it "would fundamentally limit the freedom of thought".[56]


See also

In physics and cosmology, the anthropic principle states that we should take into account the constraints that our existence as observers imposes on the sort of universe that we could observe. ... The Argument from Beauty is an argument for the existence of God, as against materialism // Its logical structure is essentially as follows: There are compelling reasons for considering beauty to exist in a way which transcends its material manifestations. ... The Argument from religious experience is an argument for the existence of God, as against materialism. ... Cover of Breaking the Spell Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (published 2006) is a book by the American philosopher Daniel C. Dennett, which attempts a scientific analysis of the origins of religion and of its pros and cons. ... Daniel Clement Dennett (born March 28, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts) 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. ... For other uses, see Cargo cult (disambiguation). ... Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ... The God of the gaps refers to a view of God deriving from a theistic position in which anything that can be explained by human knowledge is not in the domain of God, so the role of God is therefore confined to the gaps in scientific explanations of nature. ... In 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 fitness of individuals within that group. ... For the specific belief system, see Humanism (life stance). ... Irreducible complexity (IC) is an argument made by proponents of intelligent design that certain biological systems are too complex to have evolved from simpler, or less complete predecessors, through natural selection acting upon a series of advantageous naturally occurring chance mutations. ... An ontological argument for the existence of God is one that attempts the method of a priori proof, which utilizes intuition and reason alone. ... The development of religion (religiopoiesis) can refer to the gradual emergence of religious behaviour during human evolution out of pre- or proto-religious ritual (origin of religion), or to the crafting of religion as part of the history of religion within a given culture. ... Pascals Wager (or Pascals Gambit) is the application by the French philosopher Blaise Pascal of decision theory to the belief in God. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The relationship between religion and homosexuality varies greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, and regarding different forms of homosexuality and bisexuality. ... The Washington National Cathedral, located in the capital of the U.S., is one of the largest churches in the country. ... This article is about the teaching of religion. ... Russells teapot, sometimes called the Celestial Teapot, was an analogy first coined by the philosopher Bertrand Russell, intended to refute the idea that the burden of proof lies upon the sceptic to disprove unfalsifiable claims of religions. ...

References

  1. ^ a b c Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 406. ISBN 0-618-68000-4. ; on-linePDF (101 KB)
  2. ^ Richard Dawkins - Science and the New Atheism. Richard Dawkins at Point of Inquiry (December 8, 2007). Retrieved on 8 December 2007.
  3. ^ Amazon.com book page - search for sales rank for current position.
  4. ^ Jamie Doward. "Atheists top book charts by deconstructing God", The Observer, 2006-10-29. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. 
  5. ^ Hardcover Nonfiction - New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.
  6. ^ The God Delusion One-Year Countdown. RichardDawkins.net. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
  7. ^ Dawkins, Richard. Richard Dawkins explains his latest book. RichardDawkins.net. Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
  8. ^ Weitzel, Robert. "Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris: The Unholy Trinity... Thank God.", Atlantic Free Press. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. 
  9. ^ The Fleas Are Multiplying!. RichardDawkins.net. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
  10. ^ Smith, David. "Believe it or not: the sceptics beat God in bestseller battle", The Observer. Retrieved on 2007-10-05. 
  11. ^ “Douglas, I miss you. You are my cleverest, funniest, most open-minded, wittiest, tallest and possibly only convert. I hope this book might have made you laugh - though not as much as you made me.” (The God Delusion, p. 117)
  12. ^ Randerson, James. "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear", The Guardian, May 13, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-14. "In the letter, he states: "The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."" 
  13. ^ The God Delusion, page 13
  14. ^ The God Delusion, page 31
  15. ^ The God Delusion, page 50.
  16. ^ The God Delusion, page 114
  17. ^ This interpretation of the argument is based on the reviews by Dan Dennett and PZ Myers.
  18. ^ "The general theory of religion as an accidental by-product – a misfiring of something useful – is the one I wish to advocate" The God Delusion, p. 188
  19. ^ "the purpose of this section is to ask whether meme theory might work for the special case of religion" (italics in original, referring to one of the five sections of Chapter 5), The God Delusion, p. 191
  20. ^ Having given some examples of the brutish morality in the Old Testament, he writes, "Of course, irritated theologians will protest that we don't take the book of Genesis literally any more. But that is my whole point! We pick and choose which bits of scripture to believe, which bits to write off as symbols and allegories." The God Delusion, p. 238.
  21. ^ He gives examples of cases where blasphemy laws have been used to sentence people to death, and when funerals of gays or gay sympathisers have been picketed. Dawkins states preachers in the southern portions of the United States used the Bible to justify slavery by claiming Africans were descendants of Noah's sinful son Ham. During the Crusades, pagans and heretics who would not convert to Christianity were murdered. In an extreme example from modern times, he cites the case of Reverend Paul Hill, who revelled in his self-styled martyrdom: "I expect a great reward in heaven… I am looking forward to glory," he announced as he faced execution for murdering a doctor who performed abortions in Florida, USA.
  22. ^ The God Delusion - Reviews. RichardDawkins.net. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
  23. ^ The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins: Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  24. ^ Winners & Shortlists 2007. Galaxy British Book Awards. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  25. ^ This latter kind of criticism, Dawkins has called "I'm an atheist buttery". Dawkins, Richard. I'm an atheist, BUT.... RichardDawkins.net. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Richard Dawkins, "The God Delusion", Black Swan, London, 2007. p.13-22
  27. ^ a b Alvin Plantinga (2007). The Dawkins Confusion - Naturalism ad absurdum. Books & Culture, a Christian Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
  28. ^ Kenny, Anthony (July 2007). "Knowledge, Belief, and Faith". Philosophy 82 (03): 381–397. 
  29. ^ Nagel, Thomas. "The Fear of Religion", The New Republic. Retrieved on 2007-09-12. 
  30. ^ Michael Ruse (December 2007). Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion. Chicago Journals. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  31. ^ Swinburne, Richard. Response to Richard Dawkins' comments on my writings in his book The God Delusion (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
  32. ^ John Cornwell. A question of respect.. Times Online. Retrieved on 2006-11-06.
  33. ^ McGrath, Alister (2007). The Dawkins Delusion?. SPCK, p. 20.  Also expressed in his review "The Dawkins Delusion".
  34. ^ H. Allen Orr (January 2007). "A Mission to Convert". New York Review of Books (54.1). 
  35. ^ Terry Eagleton (2006-10-19). "Lunging, Flailing, Mispunching". London Review of Books 28 (20). 
  36. ^ Russell Blackford (2007). The God Delusion (Review). Cosmos Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-05-08.
  37. ^ Dawkins, Richard (2007-09-17). Do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in them?. RichardDawkins.net. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
  38. ^ Myers, PZ (2006-12-24). The Courtier's Reply. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
  39. ^ Dawkins, Richard (2007-05-12). How dare you call me a fundamentalist. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
  40. ^ Lawrence M. Krauss. Sermons and straw men.. The Official Richard Dawkins Website. Retrieved on 2006-11-06.
  41. ^ Dawkins Needs to Show Some Doubt, Stephen D. Unwin, The Guardian, 9/29/2006
  42. ^ Michael Shermer (2007-01-26). "Arguing for Atheism". Science 315 (5811): 463. doi:10.1126/science.1138989.  Also available here, second review on page.
  43. ^ Joan Bakewell. "Judgement day", The Guardian, 2006-09-23. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. 
  44. ^ Michael Skapinker. Matter and Faith. Financial Times. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  45. ^ Mary Wakefield (2006-10-22). God only knows who's right or wrong. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
  46. ^ Dying to Win by Robert Pape
  47. ^ Andrew Brown (October 2006). "Dawkins the dogmatist". Prospect (127). 
  48. ^ A Defense of Atheism.
  49. ^ Marek Kohn. "Smashing the sacred teapot", 2006-09-29. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. 
  50. ^ Kenan Malik (2006-10-08). I don't believe in Richard Dawkins. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
  51. ^ Daniel Dennett (2006-10-16). "Review of Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion". Free Inquiry 27 (1). 
  52. ^ Marilynne Robinson The God Delusion Harper's Magazine, November, 2006
  53. ^ "Misbegotten sons", The Economist, 2006-09-21. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. 
  54. ^ a b Tiryaki, Sylvia. "The God Delusion in Turkey", Turkish Daily News, December 3, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-18. 
  55. ^ "Turkey probes atheist's 'God' book", AP, CNN, 28 November 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-28. 
  56. ^ "'Tanrı Yanılgısı' kitabı beraat etti", AA, 02 April 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. (Turkish) 

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. ... “PDF” redirects here. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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Interviews

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Further reading

Chronological order of publication (oldest first)

  • Robert Stewart: A detailed summary and review of The God Delusion, The Journal of Evolutionary Philosophy. 2006
  • Terry Eagleton, "Lunging, Flailing, Mispunching", LRB, Vol.28, No.20,19 October 2006
  • James Wood, "The Celestial Teapot", The New Republic, December, 2006
  • Michael Fitzpatrick " The Dawkins delusion: 'Catholic atheist' Michael Fitzpatrick finds himself repelled by Richard Dawkins' crass and prejudiced polemic against religion., Spiked 18 December 2006
  • Bill Muehlenberg, A Review of The God Delusion Part 1, Part 2, on the Australian commentator's CultureWatch blog

Mary Midgley, née Scrutton, (b. ... New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. ... Paul Zachary PZ Myers (born March 9, 1957) is an American biology professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris and a science blogger via his blog, Pharyngula. ... Seed is a science magazine published bimonthly by Seed Media Group [1] and distributed internationally. ... Stephen D.Unwins book The Probability of God argues that a mathematical equation developed by Thomas Bayes can be used to calculate the probability that God exists. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Crispin Tickell (born 1930) GCMG KCVO is a British diplomat, academic and environmentalist. ... The Financial Times building The Financial Times (FT) is an international business newspaper printed on distinctive salmon pink broadsheet paper. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Terry Eagleton (born in Salford, Lancashire (now Greater Manchester), England, on February 22, 1943) is a British literary critic and philosopher. ... The Scotsmans offices in Edinburgh The Scotsman is a Scottish national newspaper, published in Edinburgh. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Marilynne Robinson (born 1947) is an American author. ... The Harvard Crimson, the breakfast daily of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... James Wood (born 1965 in Durham, United Kingdom) is a literary critic and novelist. ... Spiked is a British Internet magazine focusing on politics, culture and society. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the literary magazine. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Steven Weinberg (born May 3, 1933) is an American physicist. ... The Times Literary Supplement (or TLS) is a weekly literary review published in London by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Alister E. McGrath (b. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

  • Description of The God Delusion at the official website of the Richard Dawkins Foundation
  • Newsnight Book Club – Extracts from The God Delusion
  • Richard Dawkins interviewed by Laurie Taylor in New Humanist magazine
  • Video: Dawkins' reading from The God Delusion at Randolph-Macon Woman's College – including the Question-and-Answer afterwards. Oct. 23, 2006
  • Audio: Richard Dawkins interviewed by Brian Lehrer
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)
 Richard Dawkins in March 2005
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
WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer. ... 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. ... The Selfish Gene is a book on evolution by Richard Dawkins, published in 1976. ... 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. ... 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. ... River out of Eden (subtitled A Darwinian View of Life) is a 1995 popular science book by Richard Dawkins. ... Climbing Mount Improbable cover Climbing Mount Improbable is a 1996 popular science book by Richard Dawkins. ... Unweaving the Rainbow (subtitled Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder) is a book by Richard Dawkins, published in 1998 discussing the relationship between science and arts from the perspective of a scientist. ... A Devils Chaplain (Phoenix, 2003, ISBN 0753817500) is a book collecting selected essays and other writings by the British zoologist Richard Dawkins. ... The Ancestors Tale cover The Ancestors Tale (subtitled A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life) is a 2004 popular science book by Richard Dawkins, with contributions from Dawkins research assistant Yan Wong. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (669x716, 44 KB) Picture of Prof. ... Growing Up in the Universe is a series of lectures given by Richard Dawkins as part of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, where he discusses the evolution of life in the universe. ... The Atheism Tapes is a BBC TV documentary series by Jonathan Miller. ... The Root of All Evil? is a television documentary, written and presented by Richard Dawkins, in which he argues that the world would be better off without religion. ... For the Frantics album, see Enemies of Reason. ... -1... Gerin Oil or Geriniol is a fictional drug used as a device to criticize religion in articles written by Richard Dawkins. ... The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDFRS or RDF) is a non-profit organization founded by biologist Richard Dawkins in 2006. ... The Ultimate Boeing 747 argument has been known to go straight over peoples heads The Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit is an argument for the improbability of the existence of God introduced by Richard Dawkins in chapter 4 Why there almost certainly is no God of his book The God... Lalla Ward (born Sarah Ward, June 28, 1951) is an English actress and illustrator best known for playing the part of Romana in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. ...


 

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