Home / Quotes / Quote by Richard Dawkins

Quote by Richard Dawkins

“I've always been antagonistic to any naïve application of the selfish gene theory to politics. Some people have attempted to suggest that it means we are selfish or we should be selfish.”

Quote by Richard Dawkins

Author

Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins is a British ethologist, writer, and thinker, known for his contributions to evolutionary theory, particularly in the field of modern synthesis. He is widely recognized for his best-selling book 'The Selfish Gene', which explains the central role of genes in biological evolution. Dawkins has made significant impacts in the field of science communication and has sparked widespread discussions about human behavior and morality. more

You May Also Like

“I read novels for entertainment rather than for edification, so I tend not to read the sort of novels that are said to illuminate the human condition.”

Humans Said Novel Conditions Entertainment Human Condition Edification

Author:Richard Dawkins

“I have never quite understood - and this is no doubt my failing - I never quite understood why you would read fiction to understand the human condition.”

Humans Fiction Doubt Failing Conditions Understood No Doubt Human Condition Never Quit

Author:Richard Dawkins

“I'm easily persuaded that a really good novelist who gets inside somebody else's head could be serving a valuable purpose. I enjoy satirical novels that take a wry, humorous, ironic look at modern life.”

Looks Purpose Enjoy Novel Modern Humorous Valuable Novelists Serving Ironic Modern Life Satirical Wry

Author:Richard Dawkins

“I'm a sucker for nice religious leaders. I fall for it every time.”

Fall Religious Leader Nice Sucker Religious Leaders

Author:Richard Dawkins

“Pope Francis seems to be a much nicer man than Pope Benedict, but I'm not sure that his views on things that really matter are all that different. Whereas Benedict was perhaps a wolf in wolf's clothing, Francis is perhaps a wolf in sheep's clothing.”

Men Different Matter Seems Views Not Sure Clothings Sheep Pope Wolves In Sheep's Clothing Pope Benedict

Author:Richard Dawkins

“The discovery of agriculture was the first big step toward a civilized life.”

Firsts Bigs Steps Discovery Civilized Agriculture

Book:Evolution and Ethics

Source: Evolution and Ethics

“There isn't [in new atheism]. Nothing that wasn't in Bertrand Russell or probably Robert Ingersoll. But I suppose it is more of a political effect, in that all these books happened to come out at the same time. I like to think that we have some influence.”

Thinking Book Political Happened Atheism Influence Effects

Author:Richard Dawkins

“There's an element of paradox there - that at least you know where you stand with the fundamentalists. I mean, they're absolutely clear in their error and their stupidity, and so you can really go after them.”

Knows Mean Clear Elements Errors Stupidity Paradox Where You Stand

Author:Richard Dawkins

“What I can't understand is why you invoke improbability and yet you will not admit that you're shooting yourself in the foot by postulating something just as improbable, magicking into existence the word God.”

I Can Existence Feet Shooting Improbable Invoke Improbability

Author:Richard Dawkins

“I think that's the mother and father of all cop-outs. It's an honest scientific quest to discover where this apparent improbability comes from. Now [Francis] Collins says, "Well, God did it. And God needs no explanation because God is outside all this." Well, what an incredible evasion of the responsibility to explain. Scientists don't do that. Scientists say, "We're working on it. We're struggling to understand."”

Thinking Needs Wells Mother Father Responsibility Struggle Honest Scientist Incredibles Explanation Quests Cop Mother And Father Evasion Improbability

Author:Richard Dawkins