Darwinian view of Dawkins' atheism

Tessman's argument draws on minor details in The God Delusion to accuse Dawkins of lacking objectivity. This is hardly necessary since the book oozes bias and vitriol from the title onward. Why then does Tessman devote three paragraphs of petty points to "uncovering" the bias in Dawkins? Could it be that as skeptics we can't bear to acknowledge that science can be overtly unobjective? Yet history shows that even eminent scientists have based their ideas on preconceived notions and could be unforgivably biased in their treatment of competing theories. While attacking proponents of the irrational we must acknowledge the lack of logic also manifest in ourselves.

Rob Campbell

Cold Spring Harbor Lab

Long Island, New York

Irwin Tessman writes: "While in his take-no-prisoners mode, Dawkins asks what it is that religion has taught us. His answer: nothing. In this he goes up against Stephen Jay Gould."

NOMA has taught us that dialogue rather than dominance is the most productive course to pursue. This piece misreads Gould's NOMA (Non-Overlapping Magisteria) principle and delegitimizes his approach to so-called "war" between science and religion, transforming him into an unwitting compatriot with religionists. This word war appears in the subtitle: "a new chapter in the warfare of science with theology," and thereby sets the tone of the essay.

Gould uses "Magisteria" (in his Rocks of Ages, 1999) in a way that emphasizes different methods of study rather than methods by which human beings can ultimately answer "objective questions about how the universe works (empirical questions)" and conclusively answer "the ultimate questions: why am I here, what is the purpose of life, what is the basis of morality?" That is, NOMA examines approaches to parallel but nonoverlapping empirical problems on the one hand, and subjective philosophical and ethical problems on the other.

Gould never assumes that empirical questions are within the purview of the theological magisterium. This would break two of NOMA'S stipulations, the magistetias': (1) equal status and (2) independence.

Curt Claus

Gordonsville, Virginia

COPYRIGHT 2008 Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning