Its not surprising Richard Dawkins cops a lot of criticism. He has had a huge impact on the world and been very energetic in his critique of religion. Australian philosopher Russell Blackford wrote the following today about Dawkins in the context of some misplaced criticism of Dawkins - and I concur, though Ive only talked with Dawkins once - Ive met Richard Dawkins about three times and communicated with him by email several more. Ive always found him courteous, kind, softly-spoken, and willing to help where he can despite his crushing schedule. If I knew him better, maybe Id discover that he is not as nice as he seems; Im going on superficial impressions. But then again, when I read his books I find them good-humoured and nuanced. I dont recognise this demon that hes portrayed as in the British (especially) media, and I find it surprising that so many people appear to find it plausible. Many of the accusations made against him are simply not true (the media often distort his stated positions beyond recognition, even getting him to appear to have said the opposite of what he really said... or simply removing the qualifications and nuances that were present in his original words). I dont know Richard anywhere near well enough to call him a friend, but the never-ending misrepresentation and demonization of this decent, thoughtful man horrify me. Im not especially interested in arguing about it, but Im writing this to make clear where I stand. (I hope you dont mind me using your post Russell! :) )
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 15:32:53 +0000
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