Difference between revisions of "Richard Dawkins"

From Wikispooks
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(stub)
 
(opinions)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{person
 
{{person
 
|wikipedia=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins
 
|wikipedia=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins
|twitter=
+
|twitter=https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins
 
|constitutes=biologist,author
 
|constitutes=biologist,author
|image=
+
|image=Dawkins aaconf.jpg
 
|interests=atheism
 
|interests=atheism
 
|nationality=UK
 
|nationality=UK
Line 15: Line 15:
 
|children=
 
|children=
 
|relatives=
 
|relatives=
 +
|website=https://richarddawkins.net/
 
|alma_mater=Chafyn Grove School, Oundle School, Balliol College (Oxford)
 
|alma_mater=Chafyn Grove School, Oundle School, Balliol College (Oxford)
 
|political_parties=
 
|political_parties=
Line 26: Line 27:
 
|start=1970
 
|start=1970
 
|end=1995
 
|end=1995
|employer=New College (oxford)
+
|employer=New College (Oxford)
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
'''Richard Dawkins''' is a British evolutionary biologist and author. He is an emeritus fellow of [[New College, Oxford]], and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008.
+
'''Richard Dawkins''' is a British evolutionary biologist and popular science writer. Most known for his forceful argument for [[atheism]] and his dogmatic views on [[science]] and expert rule<ref>www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1997/jun/12/darwinian-fundamentalism/</ref>, he is given plenty of attention from [[corporate media]] and billionaires like [[Bill Gates]]<ref>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/bill-gates-explains-why-richard-dawkins-is-one-of-the-greats-and-outs-himself-as-a-comic-fan-10264236.html</ref>. 
 +
 
 +
He is an emeritus fellow of [[New College, Oxford]], and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008.
 +
 
 +
==Opinions==
 +
===Miracle jabs===
 +
In August 2021, he mused:
 +
{{QB|Ingenious scientists worked around the clock to find [[Covid jab|vaccines]], with spectacular success. Will their noble efforts to beat the virus be defeated because of a new epidemic – new [[virus]], a [[virus of the mind]], the memetic virus of [[anti-vax|anti-vax propaganda]] spread by gullible fools?<ref>https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/1463069649650737157</ref>}}
 +
 
 +
===Democracy===
 +
In 2016, he thought that [[Brexit]] should never have been decided by a vote:
 +
{{QB|If there are issues on which the populace at large should be trusted to vote, something as complicated and economically sophisticated as [[EU]] membership is definitely not one of them.<ref>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/richard-dawkins-eu-referendum-brexit-david-cameron-a7059201.html</ref>}}
 +
 
 +
===Eugenics for pigs===
 +
Soon hedging by saying it was only possible, not desirable<ref>https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2020/02/16/dawkins-makes-a-tweet/</ref>, he wrote:
 +
{{QB|It’s one thing to deplore [[eugenics]] on ideological, political, moral grounds. It’s quite another to conclude that it wouldn’t work in practice. Of course it would. It works for [[cows]], [[horses]], [[pigs]], [[dogs]] & roses. Why on earth wouldn’t it work for [[humans]]? [[Facts]] ignore [[ideology]].<ref>https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/1228943686953664512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw</ref>}}
 +
 
 +
===Overpoulation===
 +
Dawkins is a rare case. On the one hand he never mentions Malthus once, in any of his books1. On the other hand, Dawkins is one of the best exponents of the mathematical Principle Of Population explained by Malthus between 1798 and 1830.
 +
 
 +
===Overcoming taboos===
 +
{{QB|What if [[synthetic meat|human meat is grown]]? Could we overcome our [[taboo]] against [[cannibalism]]? An interesting test case for consequentialist morality versus "yuck reaction" absolutism.<ref>https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/969939225180364805</ref>}}
 +
 
  
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
{{reflist}}
 
{{reflist}}
{{stub}}
 

Revision as of 11:45, 29 November 2023

Person.png Richard Dawkins   Twitter WebsiteRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(biologist, author)
Dawkins aaconf.jpg
Born26 March 1941
Nairobi, British Kenya
NationalityUK
Alma materChafyn Grove School, Oundle School, Balliol College (Oxford)
Interestsatheism

Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist and popular science writer. Most known for his forceful argument for atheism and his dogmatic views on science and expert rule[1], he is given plenty of attention from corporate media and billionaires like Bill Gates[2].

He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford, and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008.

Opinions

Miracle jabs

In August 2021, he mused:

Ingenious scientists worked around the clock to find vaccines, with spectacular success. Will their noble efforts to beat the virus be defeated because of a new epidemic – new virus, a virus of the mind, the memetic virus of anti-vax propaganda spread by gullible fools?[3]

Democracy

In 2016, he thought that Brexit should never have been decided by a vote:

If there are issues on which the populace at large should be trusted to vote, something as complicated and economically sophisticated as EU membership is definitely not one of them.[4]

Eugenics for pigs

Soon hedging by saying it was only possible, not desirable[5], he wrote:

It’s one thing to deplore eugenics on ideological, political, moral grounds. It’s quite another to conclude that it wouldn’t work in practice. Of course it would. It works for cows, horses, pigs, dogs & roses. Why on earth wouldn’t it work for humans? Facts ignore ideology.[6]

Overpoulation

Dawkins is a rare case. On the one hand he never mentions Malthus once, in any of his books1. On the other hand, Dawkins is one of the best exponents of the mathematical Principle Of Population explained by Malthus between 1798 and 1830.

Overcoming taboos

What if human meat is grown? Could we overcome our taboo against cannibalism? An interesting test case for consequentialist morality versus "yuck reaction" absolutism.[7]


Many thanks to our Patrons who cover ~2/3 of our hosting bill. Please join them if you can.


References