The God Delusion
by Richard Dawkins | Philosophy | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 9780552773317 Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 9780552773317 Global Overview for this book
1 journaler for this copy...
On my bookshelf, part of my slow acquisition and reading Dawkins back-catalogue
24/10/22 - I was going to read this anyway, but a bonus that this paperback edition is dedicated to Douglas Adams, and Dawkins quotes him several times, including this from Salmon of Doubt, ‘I’d take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day’. By his own admission, Adams was converted to ‘radical atheism’ from reading The Selfish Gene; a term he uses to remove any doubt that he is NOT agnostic.
This is an odd mixture of science and religion-bashing from RD (i.e. he himself is radical, in the sense of being dogmatic), debunking any facts, logic or underlying human need for religion in favour of evolution and an extended Darwinian process. It was great that he extended the idea of morality to evolution and the secondary purpose(s) of religion as it is practised in all human civilisations. His biggest gripe is less about the wars fought in religion’s name but the indoctrination of children. The point being that most rational thinking adults without family or peer pressure would not believe in creationism, or slavishly follow centuries-old behaviours enshrined in their books and teachings - or would they(?) - which leaves a small gap for anyone to have faith (unmolested) in Gods/gods, fairies, the zodiac, and anything they wish, as a principle of freedom of speech and thought. Anyway, great book, for Dawkins fans ;)
24/10/22 - I was going to read this anyway, but a bonus that this paperback edition is dedicated to Douglas Adams, and Dawkins quotes him several times, including this from Salmon of Doubt, ‘I’d take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day’. By his own admission, Adams was converted to ‘radical atheism’ from reading The Selfish Gene; a term he uses to remove any doubt that he is NOT agnostic.
This is an odd mixture of science and religion-bashing from RD (i.e. he himself is radical, in the sense of being dogmatic), debunking any facts, logic or underlying human need for religion in favour of evolution and an extended Darwinian process. It was great that he extended the idea of morality to evolution and the secondary purpose(s) of religion as it is practised in all human civilisations. His biggest gripe is less about the wars fought in religion’s name but the indoctrination of children. The point being that most rational thinking adults without family or peer pressure would not believe in creationism, or slavishly follow centuries-old behaviours enshrined in their books and teachings - or would they(?) - which leaves a small gap for anyone to have faith (unmolested) in Gods/gods, fairies, the zodiac, and anything they wish, as a principle of freedom of speech and thought. Anyway, great book, for Dawkins fans ;)