A preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by som...
A preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.
作者简介
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Richard Dawkins taught zoology at the University of California at Berkeley and at Oxford University and is now the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position he has held since 1995. Among his previous books are The Ancestor's Tale, The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable, Unweaving the Rainbow, and A Devil's ...
Richard Dawkins taught zoology at the University of California at Berkeley and at Oxford University and is now the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position he has held since 1995. Among his previous books are The Ancestor's Tale, The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable, Unweaving the Rainbow, and A Devil's Chaplain. Dawkins lives in Oxford with his wife, the actress and artist Lalla Ward.
“不可还原的复杂性”不是一种新的概念,不过这个短语本身却是神创论者迈克尔·贝希(Michael Behe)在1996 年发明的。他的功劳(如果功劳是个正确的词的话)是把神创论引入了生物学的新领域:生物化学和细胞生物学,在他看来,在这两个领域中寻找空白要比眼睛或翅膀的老调重弹更有花头。他所引用的一个好例子(依然是一个坏例子)就是细菌鞭毛马达。
细菌鞭毛马达是自然界一种惊人的奇迹。它驱动着唯一已知的人类技术之外的自由转动的轴。我想,对于大型动物来说,轮子就是不可还原复杂性的真正例子,也许这就是为什么轮子没有在大型动物身上存在的原因。神经和血管如何才能通过其中的轴承?鞭毛是一种线状的推进器,细菌借助它在水中掘进。我说“掘进”而非“游动”,是因为就细菌生存的尺度而言,它对水这种液体的感觉全然不同于我们对水的感觉。对细菌而言,它感觉到的水更像是蜜、果冻或者甚至就像沙,它须通过掘进或打钻而不是游动才能在水里移动。不像那些体形较大的生命体如原生动物的所谓鞭毛,细菌的鞭毛不是像鞭子那样挥舞,或者像桨那样划行。它有一个可以真正自由转动的轴,该轴在一个轴承里面不停地旋转,其动力来自小小的分子驱动器。在分子层次上,马达的原理本质上类似于肌肉运动的原理,不同仅在于它是自由旋转而非间断性的收缩。它已被恰当地描述为是一种微型舷外发动机(尽管就工程学上的标准而言——这在生物机制中并不常见——它是一种效率特别低下的装置)。没有只字片语的论证、解释或是更为深入的阐述,贝希只是宣称细菌鞭毛马达具有不可还原的复杂性。既然对自己的断言没有提供论据,我们只好认定他想象力贫乏。他还进一步断言,生物学专业文献对这一问题视而不见。2005年,在宾夕法尼亚州法官琼斯(Judge John E. Jones)的法庭上大量记载了这一断言的错误,它们会令贝希感到尴尬,当时的贝希正以专家证人的身份出席作证,为一群神创论者辩护,他们... (查看原文)
0 有用 华小隐 2019-11-14 04:52:16
文化迷因说肯定不是科学,道德的生物学分析则大抵不出Wilson框架。虽如此,作者战斗力罕见。
1 有用 MethadoneM 2014-03-27 01:59:54
大学看的第一本书,并不喜欢,现在很想回去问问教授,你布置这本书真的是想把我们糊弄进哲学系还是糊弄出去?虽然最后还是很怂地进了哲学系【笑。
4 有用 烛光前 2017-11-06 02:27:52
仍然很受启发。其中提到,双盲实验能否证明受到祈祷的人们康复得更好,当然不能,两组数据几乎一样。但是还有第三组实验对象,他们知道自己受到了祈祷,结果我想当然是“安慰剂效应”,结果居然不是!他们的康复状况最差,然后我明白了“performance anxiety”
0 有用 蝉 2013-12-26 13:10:01
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0 有用 南天门 2011-06-07 21:06:19
道德原来是进化的产物呀。这么说来,道德确实是没有确定的标准的。难怪《正义》那帮人在那边争得头破血流也没有结果。 另外,我觉的作者把科学观同科学研究手段等同起来了,这个不好。