A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and LoveEssays on morality, mortality, and much more from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion. This early collection of essays from renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins is an enthusiastic declaration, a testament to the power of rigorous scientific examination to reveal the wonders of the world. In these essays, Dawkins revisits the meme, the unit of cultural information that he named and wrote about in his groundbreaking work, The Selfish Gene. Here also are moving tributes to friends and colleagues, including a eulogy for novelist Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; correspondence with fellow biologist Stephen Jay Gould; commentary on the events of 9/11; and visits with the famed paleoanthropologists Richard and Meave Leakey at their African wildlife preserve. Ending with a vivid note to Dawkins’s ten-year-old daughter, reminding her to remain curious, ask questions, and live the examined life, A Devil’s Chaplain is a fascinating read by “a man of firm opinions, which he expresses with clarity and punch” (Scientific American). |
Contents
| 3 | |
| 5 | |
2 Light Will Be Thrown | 61 |
3 The Infected Mind | 117 |
4 They Told Me Heraclitus | 163 |
5 Even the Ranks of Tuscany | 187 |
Other editions - View all
A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love Richard Dawkins Limited preview - 2004 |
A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love Richard Dawkins Limited preview - 2004 |
A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love Richard Dawkins No preview available - 2003 |
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actually adaptive alternative ancestors animals answer argument asked become believe body called century complexity copy course crystal Darwin Darwinian effect essays evidence evolution evolutionary evolve existence explain fact feel genes genetic genome give given Gould hand happens hard human idea important increase individual interesting kind language less letter living London look male matter means meme million mind natural selection never once organisms original Oxford parents particular perhaps possible principle probably progress published question reason religion religious respect scientific scientists seems sense sexual species story successful suggest tell theory things thought true truth turn understand University virus viruses whole wonder write
Popular passages
Page 13 - There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.
Page 10 - Let us understand, once for all, that the ethical progress of society depends, not on imitating the cosmic process, still less in running away from it, but in combating it.
Page 18 - Science is, I believe, nothing but trained and organized common sense, differing from the latter only as a veteran may differ from a raw recruit : and its methods differ from those of common sense only so far as the guardsman's cut and thrust differ from the manner in which a savage wields his club.