The Richard Dawson Delusion
Well it's about time I wrote something about Richard Dawson's book - The God Delusion. If his purpose for writing it was to make lots of money and attract a lot of attention he has certainly been very successful. I can't really see any other reason for writing this book. I love his central argument that it is very unlikely that god exists because if god was the creator of everything god would have to be extremely complex. Following the logic of simplicity - the more complex a hypothesis the more unlikely it is.
Although Dawson's book cannot be regarded as scientific he argues in favour of science and rationality. Given our current scientific models and understanding of the world it would seem that a creator would have to be extremely complex. Interestingly in the brief history of documented science no scientific model or theory has remained unchanged but has either been replaced by a more suitable theory or has been shown as a special case of a more comprehensive theory.
So in the same way that god is unlikely because of complexity it is as unlikely that current scientific theories and models describe the world accurately. In fact it is even more unlikely that science has all the answers since the very idea of science is based on coming up with hypotheses which are valid at a certain point in time with the expectation that they will be replaced over time.
If Dawson believes current scientific models do account for everything (or will in time be able to explain observations they can't explain at the moment) he displays the same delusion that he ascribes to people believing in god. Ironically I fully expect future generations to regard Dawson in the same category as the medieval priests who preached for centuries that our planet was the centre of the universe.
The greatest tragedy of all awaits Dawson when he dies though - if he's right and there is no god, he'll never know he was right. If he's wrong and god does exist - he'll have to live the entire afterlife annoyed with the extremely unlikely complexity of god.
-Stef
Labels: dawson, god delusion, science delusion, scientific method
posted by stef @ 11:36 PM
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3 Comments:
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I was watching the movie "Expelled: No Intelligence" and heard Richard Dawson reading about God from his own book. I was watching his face and specially the eyes, as much as some can see on TV. He reflected kind of pride and eagerness and desire full of vengeance and victory. I was shocked to see so called scientist, expresses unscientific description or characteristic about Someone whom the science was/is not able to have/show any tangible evidence that He doesn't exist. And at the end saying 97% or less "now relax". Relax from what? The power of an Authority is always rejected. But we like it or not, for ex. we have to pay taxes. Obey laws and subject to orders. Feel seek, use kind of medication or do certain physical activities and so on. I believe the only relaxation he or those who are excited by such unintelligent and unwise statements are those who like to leave without laws, orders, disciplines or someone to tell them this is wrong that is right. In one word immoral, unethical and chaotic world. In fact what we are seeing and suffering today by Killing, raping, destroying and eventual the destruction of the world as it is written in the Scripture, not because GOD WANTED, BUT WHAT MANKIND like Richard Dawson planed, whether ignorantly or whatever reason and his followers.
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