Richard Dawkins and The Scientific Method
Richard Dawkins’ extremely popular work, “The God Delusion”, is neither afraid of rejecting political correctness nor offending gentile sensibilities. Indeed, Dawkins actively utilizes polarizing statements throughout the book in an effort of shake the foundations of the religious mindset to its’ very core. Beginning with an exposé of the supernatural divine, in which neither the numinous itself nor those who adhere to supernatural claims warrant or deserve unfounded respect , Dawkins articulates a continuous barrage of scientific data and snide observations throughout the book, ending, without cloak and dagger, with “a partial list of friendly addresses, for individuals needing support in escaping from religion.” According to Dawkins, the superstitions of belief present within the cultural worldview of western society are no more outrageous then the “primitive” tribes studied by anthropologist, nor are they any more rational or effective.
Dawkins’ argument can be summed up in three definitive statements. First, the causes and continuation of religion and religious thought are no mystery. Religion is a scientifically explainable phenomenon, and must be studied and understood as such. From the effects of natural selection upon group dynamics, to the psychological impetus of the natural teleological state, to the desire for power, control and authority, religious motivation and adherence may be explained away as a primitive state to be overcome by advancements in society.
Secondly, religion is irrational and, more importantly, irrelevant in a modern society which has discovered scientific analysis with which to dispel the mists of empirical darkness and accompanying shrouds of religious myth. Fundamentally, this is accomplished through an elaboration of the explanatory power of the principles of Darwinian evolution. Dawkins recognizes a common theme of the “creator god” within all religions. It is this creator, from which, he feels, all religious claims hinge, that is made irrelevant through a proper and accurate understanding of evolution and scientific facts.
Third, religion is an unstable and dangerous force which neither modernity nor rational argument can mitigate. Drawn from the religious texts of Judaism, to the fundamentalist actions of Islamic extreme literalists, and reaching down to the lowest common denominator of the “Christian” letter-writing activist, he presents the actuality of the extreme dangers of religious motivations. Associated with this, Dawkins highlights the danger of the religious mindset, which accepts the irrationality of faith and rejects the rational and explanatory reality of science. Finally, drawing on the theory of the homo-sapiens natural teleological state at a young age, Dawkins makes adamant pleas to end the indoctrination and psychological harm that is inflicted onto unknowing children through religious education. Instead, Dawkins advocates a system in which the coming generations are armed with the “facts”.
While the conclusions reached in “The God Delusion” may initially resonate among individuals who consider themselves rational freethinkers, Dawkins often subverts the effectiveness of his own arguments by his glib analysis of situations beyond the domain of science. From his simplistic treatment of the complex philosophical discussions concerning the nature and reality of the divine, to his oversimplification of the mindset of the religious adherent, Dawkins is often dismissive of other domains of knowledge. It is quickly obvious to the scholar of the Humanities or of the Social Sciences, or even the arts, that Dawkins gleefully dismisses their analysis and expertise through his oversimplification and glorification of evolutionary science, his own particular expertise. Furthermore, Dawkins likewise alienates casual readers with his general supposition characterizing religiously minded people as ignorant and willfully blind to the truths of science. Furthermore, Dawkins chooses to dismiss the benefits and accomplishments of religions throughout societal history, and instead dwells exclusively on the atrocities that have been perpetuated through the ideology of the religious.
In reading “The God Delusion” it is clear Dawkins articulates a valid empirical response to the simplistic criticism levied by religionists toward the scientific field. Dawkins explores the cosmological theories against the theories of evolution and finds the cosmological wanting. However, as he extends his gaze beyond the exclusive domain of science, and into socio-economic realities of society, his arguments loose validity as they increasingly attribute societal ills to one exclusive source: Religion.
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