New Scientist - 21.09.2019

21 September 2019 | New Scientist | 41

I write about the environment and I have

developed quite a jaundiced view of humanity

as a result. But you strike me as somebody

who is quite optimistic that reason and

science will prevail.

Am I? I’m not sure. There’s some ground

for believing that although there are problems,

science will solve them. Science’s track record

is encouraging, but such optimism as I have

is cautious.

Do you feel like your books have helped to

advance the causes of rationality?

I can’t possibly tell. I’m glad I’ve written all the

books I have, and I’m glad they’re all in print

and selling well. I get numerous letters from

people who say that they went into science

because they read one of my books. I find that

hugely encouraging, hugely gratifying.

Do people say that to you about atheism too?

Yes, they do.

To return to God, your new book discusses

the evolutionary psychology of religion.

As an evolutionary biologist, do you buy the

idea that human brains are naturally receptive

to religious ideas?

I think that’s got to be true, which of course

doesn’t mean that they’re right to do so.

We need some kind of explanation for the

fact that religion is such a ubiquitous

phenomenon all over the world.

One conclusion of that research is that humans

are deeply irrational and that belief in the

supernatural is etched into our brains.

Do you accept that?

Well it’s not universally true, clearly.

There are plenty of highly rational people

about: people who are not religious, who

are not superstitious and who do maintain

a sceptical attitude towards such things.

Although, even those of us who think

we’re rational sometimes get things wrong.

We are susceptible to certain irrationalities.

Are there any that you’ll admit to?

I think that if I were locked in a notorious

haunted house at night, I might be

frightened. I’ve never tried it. But I think

we’re all of us susceptible to a certain level

of irrationality.  ❚

Graham Lawton

(@GrahamLawton) is a staff

writer at New Scientist

PROFILE

Richard Dawkins is

emeritus professor of

evolutionary biology at

the University of Oxford.

He was professor of

public understanding

of science from 1995 to

2008. He tweets
      @RichardDawkins

“ We really need to

push the beauty

of science”

Another chapter in your book looks at progress in
moral issues such as gender and racial equality,
and you present a very upbeat picture. Do you
worry that progress has gone into reverse?
No. It’s important to take the long view. I
think there’s absolutely no doubt that we’re
getting better as the centuries go by. The
moral standards of a 21st century person
are significantly different from those of a
20th century person.
For all that we have reversals, we have at
the same time a very strong movement in
favour of gay rights, in favour of all sorts of
other things which would once have been
inconceivable. During my lifetime, you
could go to prison for homosexual activities
in private.

If you were to project into the future, what
current cultural norms will be seen as morally
indefensible?
Almost a no-brainer: the treatment of
non-human animals.

Are you vegetarian?

I’m trying to be. I’m vegetarian at home!

I want everybody to do it. That’s another

thing moving in the right direction.

You have never written in detail about the

environmental crisis. That strikes me as a debate

you could usefully contribute to, because it’s

essentially a failure of rationality and truth.

Yes, it is. I can’t deny its huge importance, but

I haven’t written much about it. It hasn’t been

my field and so, at present, I’d be an amateur.