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Clinton Richard Dawkins DSc , FRS , FRSL (known as '''Richard Dawkins'''; born March 26 1941 ) is an eminent British Ethologist , Evolutionary theorist, and Popular Science writer who holds the Charles Simonyi Chair in the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University . Dawkins first came to prominence with his 1976 book '' The Selfish Gene '' which popularised the Gene-centric View Of Evolution , and introduced the terms Meme and Memetics into the lexicon. In 1982, he made a major original contribution to the science of evolution with the theory, presented in his book '' The Extended Phenotype '', that Phenotypic Effects are not limited to an organism's body but can stretch far into the environment, including the bodies of other organisms. He has since written several best-selling popular books on evolution and appeared in a number of television programmes on Evolutionary Biology , Creationism , and Religion . Dawkins is an Atheist , Humanist , Skeptic , " Bright ," and – as a commentator on science, religion and politics – is among the English-speaking world's best known public intellectuals. In a play on Thomas Huxley 's epithet "Darwin's bulldog," Dawkins' outspoken views on controversial matters has earned him the appellation "Darwin's rottweiler." PERSONAL LIFE Dawkins was born in '' as "Dawkins of Over Norton." His father was a descendant of the Clinton family which held the Earldom Of Lincoln , and his mother was Jean Mary Vyvyan Dawkins, née Ladner. Both were interested in the Natural Science s and answered the young Dawkins' questions in more scientific than Anecdotal or Supernatural terms.BBC News Online, 2001-10-12. " Richard Dawkins: The foibles of faith ." Accessed 2006-01-29. Dawkins describes his childhood as "a normal Anglican upbringing,"Jonathan Miller, Richard Dawkins & Richard Denton (director), 2003. ''The Atheism Tapes: Richard Dawkins.'' BBC Four television. Unofficial transcript . but reveals that he began doubting the existence of God when he was about nine years old. He was later reconverted because he was persuaded by the Argument From Design , though he began to feel that the customs of the Church Of England were "absurd," and had more to do with dictating morals than with God. When he was taught about evolution at the age of sixteen, his religious position again changed because he felt that evolution could account for the Complexity of life in purely material terms, and thus that a designer was not necessary. He married , who worked with Ward on the BBC TV sci-fi series '' Doctor Who ''. Ward has illustrated a number of Dawkins' books. CAREER Dawkins moved to England with his parents at the age of eight and attended Oundle School . He then studied Zoology at Balliol College, Oxford , where he was tutored by Nobel Prize -winning Ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen . He gained a Second Class BA degree in zoology in 1962, followed by an MA and DPhil degree in 1966.Richard Dawkins, 2006. Curriculum Vitae . (PDF). Between 1967 and 1969, Dawkins was an assistant professor of zoology at the , entitled ''Growing Up in the Universe'' – the lectures later formed the basis for his book '' Climbing Mount Improbable ''. Dawkins has been editor of four scientific journals, and founded the ''. In 2005, ''''Radio Times, 2006-01-02. p. 27. and Channel 4 , recalling the epithet "Darwin's bulldog" given to Darwin's nineteenth-century advocate Thomas Henry Huxley . It also suggests comparison with Pope Benedict XVI , who, as Cardinal Ratzinger, was known as "God's rottweiler." WORK Evolutionary biology '']] Dawkins is probably best known for his popularisation of the Gene-centered View Of Evolution – a view 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 Phenotype '' (1982), in which he describes Natural Selection as "''the process whereby replicators out-propagate each other''." As an Ethologist , interested in animal behaviour and its relation to natural selection, he advocates the idea that the Gene is the principal Unit Of Selection in Evolution . In his books, Dawkins uses the imagery of the Necker Cube to explain that the gene-centered view is not a scientific revolution, but merely a new way of visualising evolution. The Necker Cube, a simple two-dimensional line drawing of a cube, is interpreted by the brain as one of two possible three-dimensional shapes. Dawkins argues that the gene-centered view is a useful model of evolution for some purposes, but that evolution can still be understood and studied in terms of individuals and populations. The gene-centered view also provides a basis for understanding , thinking in terms of the gene-centered model, developed the theory of Reciprocal Altruism , where one organism provides a benefit to another in the expectation of future reciprocation.Robert Trivers, 1971. "The evolution of reciprocal altruism." ''Quarterly Review of Biology''. 46: 35-57. Critics of Dawkins' approach suggest that taking the '', however, Dawkins explains that he is using George C. Williams ' definition of gene as "''that which segregates and recombines with appreciable frequency''."George C. Williams, 1966. ''Adaptation and Natural Selection''. Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-02615-7. Similarly, it is commonly argued that genes can not survive alone, but must cooperate to build an individual,Ernst Mayr, 2000. ''What Evolution Is''. Basic Books, ISBN 0465044263. but in '' The Extended Phenotype '', Dawkins argues that because of Genetic Recombination and Sexual Reproduction , from an individual gene's viewpoint, all other genes are part of the environment to which it is adapted. Recombination is a process which occurs during Meiosis in which pairs of Chromosome s cross over to swap segments of DNA . These sections are the "genes" to which Dawkins and Williams refer. In the controversy over interpretations of , and the philosopher Daniel Dennett who has promoted the gene-centric view of evolution and defended reductionism in biology.Daniel Dennett, 1995. ''Darwin's Dangerous Idea''. Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0684802902. Memetics Dawkins coined the term '' Meme '' (analogous to the gene) to describe how Darwinian principles might be extended to explain the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena, which spawned the theory of Memetics . While originally floating the idea in '' The Selfish Gene '', Dawkins has largely left it to other authors, such as Susan Blackmore , to expand upon it.Susan Blackmore, 1999. ''The Meme Machine''. Oxford University Press, ISBN 019286212X. Memetics, gene selection, and sociobiology have been criticised as being overly- Reductionist by such thinkers as the Philosopher Mary Midgley , with whom Dawkins has Debated since the late 1970s.Mary Midgley, 2000. ''Science and Poetry''. Routledge. Writing in the journal ''Philosophy'', Midgley stated that to debate Dawkins would be as unnecessary as to " Break A Butterfly Upon A Wheel ."Mary Midgley, 1979. " Gene Juggling ." ''Philosophy'' 54, no. 210, pp. 439-458. Dawkins replied that this statement would be "hard to match, in reputable journals, for its patronizing condescension toward a fellow academic."Ophelia Benson, 2003. " About Butterflies and Wheels ." ButterfliesAndWheels.com. Although Dawkins coined the term independently, he has never claimed that the idea of the Meme was new – there had been similar terms for similar ideas in the past. John Laurent , in ''The Journal of Memetics'', has suggested that the term "meme" itself may have been derived from the work of the little-known German biologist Richard Semon . In 1904, Semon published ''Die Mneme'' (which was published in English, as ''The Mneme'', in 1924). His book discussed the cultural transmission of experiences, with insights parallel to those of Dawkins. Laurent also found the use of the term "mneme" in ''The Soul of the White Ant'' (1927), by Maurice Maeterlinck , and highlighted its similarities to Dawkins' concept. The key distinction of Dawkins' formulation, ironically paralleling the insights provided by memetics, is that it caught on and thus became dominant. Creationism Dawkins is an established critic of '' is a critique of the Argument From Design , and his other popular-science works often touch on the topic. On the advice of his late colleague Stephen Jay Gould , Dawkins refuses to participate in debates with creationists because doing so would give them the "oxygen of respectability" that they want. He argues 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."Richard Dawkins, 2003. ''A Devil's Chaplain''. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, p. 256. Dawkins did, however, take part in the Oxford Union 's 1986 Huxley Memorial Debate, in which he and John Maynard Smith defeated their creationist counterparts by 198 votes to 115.John Durant, n.d. " A critical-historical perspective on the arguments about evolution and creation ." From ''Evolution and Creation: A European perspective'', Svend Anderson & Arthur Peacocke Eds. Aarhus, DK: Aarhus Univ. Press. pp. 12-26. In a December 2004 interview with Bill Moyers , Dawkins stated that "among the things that science does know, evolution is about as certain as anything we know." When Moyers later asked, "Is evolution a theory, not a fact?," Dawkins replied, "Evolution has been observed. It's just that it hasn't been observed while it's happening."Bill Moyers ''et al'', 2004. " ''Now'' with Bill Moyers ." PBS. Accessed 2006-01-29. Religion Dawkins is an ardent and outspoken in his honour. Dawkins is well known for his contempt for religious extremism, from Islamic Terrorism to Christian Fundamentalism , but he has also argued fiercely with liberal believers and religious scientists, including many who might otherwise champion his science and fight Creationism alongside him, from the biologist Kenneth Miller to the Bishop Of Oxford Richard Harries .Richard Dawkins, 2006. '' The Root Of All Evil? ''. Dawkins continues to be a prominent figure in contemporary public debate on issues relating to science and religion. He sees education and consciousness-raising as the primary tools in opposing what he considers to be religious dogma. These tools include the fight against certain stereotypes, and he has adopted the positive term ", when asked how the world might have changed, Dawkins responded:
in '' The Root Of All Evil? '']] In January 2006, Dawkins presented a two-part Channel 4 documentary entitled '' The Root Of All Evil? '', addressing what he sees as the malignant influence of organised religion in society. Critics claimed the programme gave too much time to marginal figures and extremists, and that Dawkins' confrontational style did not help his cause;Howard Jacobson, 2006. " Nothing like an unimaginative scientist to get non-believers running back to God ." ''The Independent''.Ron Ferguson, 2006. " What a lazy way to argue against God ." ''The Herald''. Dawkins, however, rejected these claims, citing the number of moderate religious broadcasts in everyday media as providing a suitable balance to the extremists in the programmes.Richard Dawkins, 2006. " Diary ." ''New Statesman''. Oxford theologian and mischaracterising religious people generally. McGrath asserts that Dawkins has become better known for his rhetoric than for his reasoning, and that there is no clear basis for Dawkins' hostility towards religion. In response Dawkins states that his position is that Christian theology is vacuous, and that the only area of theology which might command his attention would be the claim to be able to demonstrate God's existence. Dawkins criticises McGrath for providing no argument to support his beliefs, other than the fact that they cannot be Falsified .Marianna Krejci-Papa, 2005. " Taking On Dawkins' God:An interview with Alister McGrath ." ''Science & Theology News'', 2005-04-25. Other fields In his role as professor of the public understanding of science, Dawkins has been a harsh critic of Pseudoscience and Alternative Medicine . His popular work '' Unweaving The Rainbow '' takes John Keats ' claim that by explaining the Rainbow , Isaac Newton had diminished its beauty and turned it around. Deep space, the billions of years of life's evolution, and the microscopic workings of biology and heredity, Dawkins argues, contain more beauty and wonder than myths and pseudoscience.Richard Dawkins, 1998. ''Unweaving The Rainbow.'' Penguin. Dawkins wrote a foreword to John Diamond '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 away from more successful conventional treatments, and gave people false hopes.John Diamond, Richard Dawkins (foreword) & Dominic Lawson (ed), 2001. ''Snake Oil and Other Preoccupations.'' Vintage. Dawkins states that "There is no alternative medicine. There is only medicine that works and medicine that doesn't work."Richard Dawkins, 2003. ''A Devil's Chaplain''. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Dawkins has expressed a '', Dawkins briefly introduced the concept of exponential population growth, with the example of Latin America which, at the time the book was written, had a population which doubled every forty years. Dawkins' proposed solutions can be described as typically Humanist , and he is critical of Catholic attitudes to Family Planning and Population Control , stating that leaders who forbid Contraception and "express a preference for 'natural' methods of population limitation," will get just such a method – starvation.Richard Dawkins, 1989. ''The Selfish Gene'', 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. As a supporter of the '' Great Ape Project '' – a movement to extend Human Rights to all Great Apes – Dawkins contributed an article to the ''Great Ape Project'' book entitled ''Gaps In The Mind'', in which he criticised contemporary society's moral attitudes as being based on a "discontinuous, speciesist imperative."Richard Dawkins, 1993. " Gaps In The Mind ." In ''The Great Ape Project'', Paola Cavalieri & Peter Singer eds. London: Fourth Estate. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Dawkins holds , and is honorary doctor of the Open University . He also holds honorary doctorates of letters from the University Of St Andrews and Australian National University , and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society Of Literature in 1997 and Royal Society in 2001. He is vice-president of the British Humanist Association and honorary patron of the Trinity College University Philosophical Society. Other awards he has won include the Royal Society Literature Award (1987), Los Angeles Times Literary Prize (1987), Zoological Society Of London Silver Medal (1989), Michael Faraday Award (1990), Nakayama Prize (1994), Humanist of the Year Award (1996), the fifth International Cosmos Prize (1997), Kistler Prize (2001), Medal Of The Presidency Of The Italian Republic (2001), Bicentennial Kelvin Medal (2002). In 2005 the Hamburg -based Alfred Toepfer Stiftung organization awarded him their Shakespeare Prize in recognition of his "concise and accessible presentation of scientific knowledge."British Embassy in Berlin, 2005. " Shakespeare Prize for Richard Dawkins ." Accessed 2006-01-29. Dawkins topped '''', a long running music program on BBC Radio 4 . PUBLICATIONS Books
Since 2004 Dawkins has been working on a new book, tentatively titled ''The God Delusion''.Gordy Slack, 2004-04-30. " The Atheist ." ''Salon.com''. Accessed 2006-01-29. Essays
See also Papers and commentary by Richard Dawkins (no longer maintained) and Dawkins' ''Huffington Post'' articles . Documentaries Books about Dawkins
See also Books by and about Richard Dawkins and Richard Dawkins Bibliography , these links are useful but no longer maintained. EXTERNAL LINKS Websites
Interviews and feature articles
Criticism of Dawkins' views on religion
Creationist criticism
Other
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