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Richard Dawkins Quotes

Biography

Richard Dawkins, born March 26, 1941, is an eminent evolutionary biologist and author. He is best known for his book "The Selfish Gene" (1976), which popularized the gene-centered view of evolution. Another significant work, "The Extended Phenotype" (1982), further elaborated on the influence genes have beyond the organism's body. more Richard Dawkins, born March 26, 1941, is an eminent evolutionary biologist and author. He is best known for his book "The Selfish Gene" (1976), which popularized the gene-centered view of evolution. Another significant work, "The Extended Phenotype" (1982), further elaborated on the influence genes have beyond the organism's body. In 2006, Dawkins published "The God Delusion," a critical examination of religion that became a bestseller and sparked worldwide debate. Dawkins served as the University of Oxford's Professor for Public Understanding of Science from 1995 to 2008. In 1997, he was awarded the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest. His contributions to both evolutionary biology and public discourse on science distinguish him as a leading figure in contemporary scientific thought. less

Popular Quotes

"The essence of life is statistical improbability on a colossal scale."
Tags: Philosophy, Life, Existence, Complexity, Essence
"Natural selection is anything but random."
Tags: Evolution, Adaptation, Biology, Natural selection, Genetics
"The universe doesn't owe us condolence or consolation; it doesn't owe us a nice warm feeling inside."
Tags: Philosophy, Life, Perspective, Truth, Existentialism
"Much as we might wish to believe otherwise, universal love and the welfare of the species as a whole are concepts that simply do not make evolutionary sense"
Tags: Human nature, Ethics, Altruism, Survival, Social behavior
"I am very comfortable with the idea that we can override biology with free will"
Tags: Philosophy, Self-determination, Free will, Biology, Determinism
"We should not live by Darwinian principles. But Darwin explains how we got here"
Tags: Philosophy, Ethics, History, Human behavior, Science
"Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you"
Tags: Education, Critical thinking, Open-mindedness, Parenting, Teaching
"It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I’d rather not consider that)"
Tags: Belief, Science, Ignorance, Evolution, Rationality
"The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice"
Tags: Philosophy, Existentialism, Universe, Suffering, Injustice
"Science replaces private prejudice with publicly verifiable evidence"
Tags: Knowledge, Truth, Science, Reason, Rationality
"There is no well-demonstrated reason to believe in God. If you were inculcated with it as a child, you might have a belief that a certain book is true and God's word. Letting go of that is not easy, but you should do it"
Tags: Faith, Belief, Religion, Critical thinking, God
"Faith can be very very dangerous, and deliberately to implant it into the vulnerable mind of an innocent child is a grievous wrong"
Tags: Faith, Ethics, Belief, Vulnerability, Parenting
"We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes"
Tags: Evolution, Survival, Biology, Natural selection, Genetics
"The meme for blind faith secures its own perpetuation by the simple unconscious expedient of discouraging rational inquiry"
Tags: Critical thinking, Ideology, Belief systems, Dogma, Unconscious
"Religion teaches you to be satisfied with non-answers. Science is about the opposite"
Tags: Knowledge, Religion, Critical thinking, Curiosity, Science
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