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The coins were then melted down to make ]s for the ].
'''Clinton Richard Dawkins''' (born ], ]) is a ] ], ] and ] writer who holds the ] Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the ].

Dawkins first came to prominence with his 1976 book '']'', which popularised the ] and introduced the term '']'', helping found the field of ]. In 1982, he made a widely-cited contribution to the science of ] with the theory, presented in his book '']'', that ] effects are not limited to an organism's body but can stretch far into the environment, including into the bodies of other organisms. He has since written several best-selling popular books, and appeared in a number of television and radio programmes, concerning ], ], and ].

Dawkins is an outspoken ]ist, ], ], and <!-- PLEASE NOTE: SCEPTIC is the correct British spelling, and Dawkins is British -->], and he is a supporter of the ].<ref name=godisnotgreat>{{cite book |author=Hitchens, Christopher |title=God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything |publisher=Twelve |location= |year= |pages=5 |isbn=0-446-57980-7 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> In a play on ]'s epithet "]'s bulldog", Dawkins' impassioned advocacy of evolution has earned him the appellation "Darwin's rottweiler".<ref name="rotw">{{cite web | last=Downey | first=Robert | title=Article in Eastsideweek (title unknown) | publisher=Eastsideweek | date=1996-12-11 | url=http://www.simonyi.ox.ac.uk/dawkins/WorldOfDawkins-archive/Media/seattle.shtml | accessdate=2006-11-14 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Dawkins was born on ], ] in ], ], and named Clinton Richard Dawkins.<ref name="cv">Richard Dawkins, 2006. . (PDF).</ref> His father, Clinton John Dawkins, was a farmer and former wartime soldier called up from colonial service in ] (now ]).<ref>John Catalano, 1995. . ''World of Dawkins''. Accessed .</ref> Dawkins' parents came from an affluent upper-middle class background &ndash; the Dawkins name was described in '']'' as "Dawkins of Over Norton". His father is a descendant of the Clinton family which held the ], and his mother is Jean Mary Vyvyan Dawkins, ] Ladner. Both were interested in the ]s, and answered the young Dawkins' questions in scientific terms.<ref>BBC News Online, . "." Accessed .</ref>
Dawkins describes his childhood as "a normal Anglican upbringing",<ref name=miller>Jonathan Miller Richard Dawkins & Richard Denton (director), 2003. ''The Atheism Tapes: Richard Dawkins.'' BBC Four television. .</ref> but reveals that he began doubting the existence of God when he was about nine years old. He was later reconverted because he was persuaded by the ], though he began to feel that the customs of the ] were absurd, and had more to do with dictating morals than with God. When he better understood evolution, at age sixteen, his religious position again changed because he felt that evolution could account for the ] of life in purely material terms, and thus that a designer was not necessary.<ref name=miller/>
He married ] in 1967, but they divorced in 1984. Later that year, Dawkins married Eve Barham &ndash; with whom he had a daughter, Juliet Emma Dawkins in 1984 &ndash; but they, too, divorced. He married actress ] in 1992.<ref>Robin McKie, 2004; "." ''The Guardian''. Accessed .</ref> Dawkins had met her through their mutual friend ], who worked with Ward on the ] TV science-fiction series '']''. Ward has illustrated over half of Dawkins' books.

==Career==
], ], ], ]]]
Dawkins moved to England with his parents at the age of eight, and attended ]. He then studied ] at ], where he was tutored by ]-winning ] ]. He gained a ] degree in zoology in 1962, followed by ] and ] degrees in 1966, and a ] in 1989.<ref name="cv"/>

From 1967 to 1969, Dawkins was an assistant professor of zoology in the ]. In 1970 he was appointed a lecturer, and in 1990 a ] in zoology in the ]. In 1995, he was appointed Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford, a position endowed by ] with an express intention that Dawkins be its first holder.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aims of the Simonyi Professorship |url=http://www.simonyi.ox.ac.uk/aims/index.shtml}}</ref> He has been a fellow of ] since 1970.<ref>Simonyi Professorship, 2006. .</ref> He has delivered a number of inaugural and other notable lectures, including the ] Memorial Lecture (1989), first ] Memorial Lecture (1990), ] Lecture (1991), ] Memorial Lecture (1992), Irvine Memorial Lecture (1997), Sheldon Doyle Lecture (1999), Tinbergen Lecture (2000), and the ] (2003).<ref name="cv">Richard Dawkins, 2006. . (PDF).</ref> In 1991 he gave the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for Children (recently released on DVD as ''Growing Up In The Universe'' <ref>.</ref>).

In 1996, Charles Simonyi referred to Dawkins as "Darwin's rottweiler",<ref name="rotw" /> a description later adopted by '']'' magazine,<ref name=discover>Stephen S. Hall, 2005. "." ''Discover'' magazine.</ref> and the '']''.<ref>Radio Times, . p. 27.</ref> He has also been called "the nearest thing to a professional atheist we have had since ]"<ref>Terry Eagleton, 2006. "." ''London Review of Books''.</ref> and compared to ].<ref>Abigail Lustig et al. Darwinian Heresies, Cambridge University Press, ISBN .</ref>

Dawkins has edited a number of journals and has acted as editorial advisor for several publications, including '']'' and the '']''. He writes a column for the ]'s '']'' magazine and serves as a senior editor. He has also been president of the Biological Sciences section of the ], is a Humanist Laureate of the ], a fellow of the ] and serves as advisor for several other organisations. He has sat on numerous judging panels for awards as diverse as the Royal Society's ] and the ].<ref name="cv">Richard Dawkins, 2006. . (PDF).</ref> In 2004, the ] &ndash; awarded for "outstanding research into the ecology and behaviour of animals whose welfare and survival may be endangered by human activities"<ref>Balliol College News. . Accessed .</ref> &ndash; was initiated by Oxford's ].

==Work==
===Evolutionary biology===

In his scientific works, Dawkins is best known for his popularisation of the ] &ndash; a view most clearly set out in his books '']'' (1976), where he notes that "all life evolves by the differential survival of replicating entities", and '']'' (1982), in which he describes ] as "the process whereby replicators out-propagate each other". As an ], interested in animal behaviour and its relation to natural selection, he advocates the idea that the ] is the principal ] in ].
Dawkins has been consistently sceptical about non-adaptive processes in evolution and about selection at levels "above" that of the gene. He is particularly sceptical about the practical possibility or importance of group selection.<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2006. ''The God Delusion''. Transworld Publishers, ISBN 0-5930-5548-9 pp169-172</ref>

The gene-centred view also provides a basis for understanding ]. Altruism appears at first to be a paradox, as helping others costs precious resources &ndash; possibly even one's own health and life &ndash; thus reducing one's own fitness. Previously this had been interpreted by many as an aspect of ], that is, individuals were doing what was best for the survival of the population or species. But ] used the gene-centred view to explain altruism in terms of ] and ], that is, individuals behave altruistically towards their close relatives, who share many of their own genes.<ref>W.D. Hamilton, 1964. "The genetical evolution of social behaviour I and II." ''Journal of Theoretical Biology'' '''7''': 1-16 and 17-52.</ref> (Hamilton's work features prominently in Dawkins' books, and the two became friends at Oxford; following Hamilton's death in 2000 Dawkins wrote his obituary and organised a ] memorial service).<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2000. "." ''The Independent'', 2000-03-10.</ref> Similarly, ], thinking in terms of the gene-centred model, developed the theory of ], where one organism provides a benefit to another in the expectation of future reciprocation.<ref>Robert Trivers, 1971. "The evolution of reciprocal altruism." ''Quarterly Review of Biology''. '''46''': 35-57.</ref>

Critics of Dawkins' approach suggest that taking the ] as the unit of ''selection'' &mdash; a single event in which an individual either succeeds or fails to reproduce &ndash; is misleading, but that the gene could be described as a unit of ''evolution'' &ndash; the long-term changes in ] frequencies in a population.<ref>Gabriel Dover, 2000. ''Dear Mr Darwin.'' London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 0-7538-1127-8.</ref> In '']'', however, Dawkins explains that he is using ]' definition of gene as "that which segregates and recombines with appreciable frequency".<ref>George C. Williams, 1966. ''Adaptation and Natural Selection''. Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-02615-7.</ref> Another common objection is that genes cannot survive alone, but must cooperate to build an individual, and therefore can not be an independent "unit".<ref>Ernst Mayr, 2000. ''What Evolution Is''. Basic Books, ISBN 0-465-04426-3.</ref> However, in '']'', Dawkins argues that because of ] and ], from an individual gene's viewpoint, all other genes are part of the environment to which it is adapted. Recombination is a process that occurs during ] in which pairs of ]s cross over to swap segments of ]. These sections are the "genes" to which Dawkins and Williams refer.

In a set of controversies over the mechanisms and interpretation of ] (the so-called "Darwin Wars"),<ref> se eg ], ''The Darwin Wars: How stupid genes became selfish genes'' London: Simon and Schuster (1999) ISBN 0-684-85144-X</ref> one faction was often named after Dawkins and its rival after ], reflecting the pre-eminence of each as a populariser of relevant ideas. In particular, Dawkins and Gould have been prominent commentators in the controversy over ] and ], with Dawkins generally approving and Gould critical.<ref>Henry Morris, 2001. ''The Evolutionists''. Henry Holt & Company, ISBN 0-7167-4094-X.</ref> A typical example of Dawkins' position is his scathing review of '']'' by ], ] and ].<ref>Richard Dawkins, 1985. "." ''New Scientist'', 1985-01-24.</ref> Two other thinkers often considered to be in the same camp as Dawkins are ] and ], who has promoted a gene-centric view of evolution and defended reductionism in biology.<ref>Daniel Dennett, 1995. ''Darwin's Dangerous Idea''. Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-684-80290-2.</ref> Dawkins and Gould, however did not have a hostile relationship, and Dawkins dedicated a large portion of his book '']'' to Gould.

===Memetics===
Dawkins coined the term '']'' (analogous to the gene) to describe how Darwinian principles might be extended to explain the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. This spawned the field of ]. While originally floating the idea in '']'', Dawkins has largely left the task of expanding upon it to other authors, such as ].<ref>Susan Blackmore, 1999. ''The Meme Machine''. Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-286212-X.</ref> ] ], whom ] since the late 1970s, criticises memetics, gene selection, and sociobiology as being excessively ].<ref>Mary Midgley, 2000. ''Science and Poetry''. Routledge.</ref> Among other exchanges, Midgley stated that to debate Dawkins would be as unnecessary as to "]".<ref>Mary Midgley, 1979. "." ''Philosophy'' '''54''', no. 210, pp. 439-458.</ref> Dawkins replied that this statement would be "hard to match, in reputable journals, for its patronising condescension toward a fellow academic".<ref>Richard Dawkins, 1981. "." ''Philosophy'' '''56''', pp. 556-573.</ref>

Although Dawkins coined the term independently, he has never claimed that the idea of the ] was new &ndash; there had been similar terms for similar ideas in the past. ], in ''The Journal of Memetics'', has suggested that the term "meme" itself may have been derived from the work of the little-known German biologist ].<ref>John Laurent, 1999. "." ''Journal of Memetics'' '''3'''(1)</ref> In 1904, Semon published ''Die Mneme'' (which was published in English, as ''The Mneme'', in 1924). His book discussed the cultural transmission of experiences, with insights parallel to those of Dawkins. Laurent also found the use of the term "mneme" in ''The Life of the White Ant'' (1926), by ],<ref>based on/plagiarised from ''The Soul of the White Ant'', by ]</ref> and highlighted its similarities to Dawkins' concept.

===Creationism===
Dawkins is a prominent critic of ], describing it as a "preposterous, mind-shrinking falsehood".<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2002. "." ''The Guardian''.</ref> His book '']'' contains a critique of the ], and his other popular science works often touch on the topic. In 1986, Dawkins participated in the ]'s ], in which he and ] debated ] and Edgar Andrews, president of the Biblical Creation Society.<ref>{{cite web
| title = 1986 Oxford Union Debate: Richard Dawkins, John Maynard Smith
| work =RichardDawkins.net — The Official Richard Dawkins website
| url =http://richarddawkins.net/article,721,1986-Oxford-Union-Debate,Richard-Dawkins-John-Maynard-Smith
| accessdate = 2007-05-10}}. Debate downloadable as mp3 files. The debate ended with the motion "That the doctrine of creation is more valid than the theory of evolution" being defeated by 198 votes to 115 or 150 votes (the voice of the teller of the vote is not clear enough to distinguish the two numbers). A report reproduced on the ] site says that the debate ended with the motion being defeated by 198 votes to 15, although it is clear that the figure in their online version of the published document is mistaken. See also John Durant, "." From ''Evolution and Creation: A European perspective'', Svend Anderson & Arthur Peacocke Eds. Aarhus, DK: Aarhus Univ. Press. pp. 12-26. Accessed ]. See also George Cooper and Paul Humber, .</ref> But on the advice of his late colleague ], Dawkins generally refuses to participate in formal debates with creationists because doing so would give them the "oxygen of respectability" that they want. He argues that creationists "don't mind being beaten in an argument. What matters is that we give them recognition by bothering to argue with them in public."<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2003. ''A Devil's Chaplain''. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, p. 256.</ref>

In a December 2004 interview with ], Dawkins stated that "among the things that science does know, evolution is about as certain as anything we know." When Moyers later asked, "Is evolution a theory, not a fact?", Dawkins replied, "Evolution has been observed. It's just that it hasn't been observed while it's happening." Dawkins went on to say, "It is rather like a detective coming on a murder after the scene. And you… the detective hasn't actually seen the murder take place, of course. But what you do see is a massive clue ...Circumstantial evidence, but masses of circumstantial evidence. Huge quantities of circumstantial evidence."<ref>Bill Moyers ''et al'', 2004. "." PBS. Accessed 2006-01-29.</ref>

===Religion===
Dawkins is an ardent and outspoken ], an Honorary Associate of the ],<ref>{{cite web | publisher = National Secular Society | url = http://www.secularism.org.uk/honoraryassociates.html | title = Our Honorary Associates | date = ] |accessmonthday = April 21 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> a vice-president of the ] and a Distinguished Supporter of the ]. In his essay "]" (from which the term "faith-sufferer" originated), he suggested that ] theory might analyse and explain the phenomenon of religious belief and some of the common characteristics of organised religions, such as the belief that punishment awaits non-believers. In 2003, The ] instituted the ] in his honour. Dawkins is well known for his contempt for religious extremism, from ] to ], but he has also argued with liberal believers and religious scientists,<ref name=miller/> from the biologist ]<ref name=discover/> to the theologian ] and the former ], ].<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2006. '']''.</ref>.

Dawkins continues to be a prominent figure in contemporary public debate on issues relating to science and religion. He sees education and consciousness-raising as the primary tools in opposing what he considers to be religious dogma. These tools include the fight against certain stereotypes, and he has adopted the positive term "]", as a way of putting positive connotations on those with a naturalistic world view.<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2003. "." ''The Guardian''.</ref> Dawkins notes that feminists have succeeded in making us feel embarrassed when we routinely employ "he" instead of "she"; similarly, he argues, a phrase such as "Catholic child" or "Muslim child" should be seen to be just as improper as, say, "Marxist child". Children should not be classified based on their parent's ideological beliefs.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Smith | first =Alexandra | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Dawkins campaigns to keep God out of classroom | journal =] | volume = | issue = | pages = | publisher = | date =] | url =http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,,00.html | doi = | id = | accessdate = }}</ref>

Following the ], when asked how the world might have changed, Dawkins responded:

{{cquote|
Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where's the harm? September 11th changed all that. Revealed faith is not harmless nonsense, it can be lethally dangerous nonsense. Dangerous because it gives people unshakeable confidence in their own righteousness. Dangerous because it gives them false courage to kill themselves, which automatically removes normal barriers to killing others. Dangerous because it teaches enmity to others labelled only by a difference of inherited tradition. And dangerous because we have all bought into a weird respect, which uniquely protects religion from normal criticism. Let's now stop being so damned respectful!<ref>''The Guardian'', "." ''The Guardian''. Accessed .</ref>
}}

In January 2006, Dawkins presented a two-part television documentary entitled '']'', (a title in which Dawkins had no say and with which he has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction)<ref>The Jeremy Vine Show, BBC Radio 2. January 5, 2006.</ref> addressing what he sees as the malignant influence of organised religion in society. Critics said that the programme gave too much time to marginal figures and extremists, and that Dawkins' confrontational style did not help his cause;<ref>Howard Jacobson, 2006. "." ''The Independent''. Retrieved ], ].</ref><ref>Ron Ferguson, 2006. "." ''The Herald'' (requires payment).</ref> Dawkins rejected these claims, citing the number of moderate religious broadcasts in everyday media as providing a suitable balance to the extremists in the programmes. He further remarked that someone who is deemed an "extremist" in a religiously moderate country, may well be considered "mainstream" in a religiously conservative one.<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2006. "." ''New Statesman''. Retrieved ], ].</ref> The unedited recordings made for the programme, of Dawkins' conversations with Professor McGrath and Bishop Harries, including material unused in the broadcast version, are available online.<ref>'''' and '''' accessed ]</ref>

Dawkins has ardently opposed teaching ] in science lessons. He has described intelligent design as "not a scientific argument at all but a religious one"<ref>The Guardian, "." ''The Guardian''. Accessed .</ref> and is a strong critic of the pro-] organisation ]. Dawkins has said the publication of his September 2006 book, '']'', is "probably the culmination" of his campaign against religion.<ref>'''' Interview with Clive Cookson, ''FT Magazine'' December . Retrieved ], ].</ref> Dawkins was a featured speaker at the November 2006 ] conference.

Oxford theologian ], author of '']'' and '']'', has accused Dawkins of being ignorant of ].<ref>{{cite book |last= McGrath|first=Alister |authorlink= Alister McGrath|coauthors= |title=Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life |year=2004 |publisher=Blackwell |location=Oxford, England |isbn=|pages= 81 }}</ref> In response, Dawkins stated his position that Christian theology is vacuous, and that the only area of theology which might command his attention would be the arguments to demonstrate ]. Dawkins criticised McGrath for providing no argument to support his beliefs, other than the fact that they cannot be ].<ref>Alternatively, McGrath argues that the science upon which Dawkins solely relies for answers, has limits in its ability to answer certain questions, such as "What is the meaning of life", or "How did life originate?". Marianna Krejci-Papa, 2005. " (STNews site is no longer available)." '']'', .</ref> Dawkins had an extended debate with McGrath at the '']'' Literary Festival in 2007.<ref>Times Online. (]). ] ].</ref> Another Christian philosopher, ], explores similar themes in his book '']'', arguing against the view of Dawkins and others that religion is socially dangerous. Criticism of ''The God Delusion'' has also come from professional philosophers such as Professor John Cottingham of the University of Reading.<ref>"", 'The God Delusion' reviewed in 'The Tablet', .</ref> Other commentators, including ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/aiming-for-knockout-blow-in-god-wars/2007/05/24/.html |title=Aiming for knockout blow in god wars |publisher='']'' |date=] |accessdate= }}</ref> have suggested that Dawkins "overstates the case against religion",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/202/story_20279_1.html |title=Does God Believe in Richard Dawkins? |last=Easterbrook |first=Gregg |publisher=] |accessdate=}}</ref> asserting that global conflict would continue without religion from factors such as economic pressures or land disputes. Dawkins' defenders, however, claim that the critics misunderstand Dawkins' point. During a debate on Radio 3 Hong Kong, David Nicholls, president of the ], argued that Dawkins does not contend that religion is the source of all that is wrong in the world. Rather, it is an "unnecessary part of what is wrong."<ref>{{cite web| last = | first = | authorlink =
| coauthors = | title = Is God a Delusion? | work = | publisher =Radio 3, Hong Kong | date = | url =http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/radio3/backchat/.html | format = | doi = | accessdate = }}</ref> Dawkins himself has said that his objection to religion is not solely that it causes wars and violence, but also because it gives people an excuse to hold beliefs that are not based on evidence.<ref>http://www.scpr.org/programs/pattmorrison/index.shtml</ref>

Dawkins believes that "the existence of God is a scientific hypothesis like any other."<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2006. ''The God Delusion''. p. 50.</ref> He disagrees with ]'s idea of "]" (NOMA) and with similar ideas proposed by ] regarding the coexistence of science and religion without conflict, calling the former "positively supine" and "a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp".<ref>David Van Biema. "God vs. Science." ''Time''. November 13, 2006</ref> Regarding Rees's claim in ''Our Cosmic Habitat'' that "Such questions lie beyond science, however: they are the domain of philosophers and theologians," Dawkins replies "What expertise can theologians bring to deep cosmological questions that scientists cannot?".<ref>Richard Dawkins "" ''Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 18, Number 2''. Retrieved ] ].</ref><ref>Richard Dawkins, 2006. ''The God Delusion''. pp. 55-56.</ref> Rees has suggested that Dawkins' attack on even mainstream religion is unhelpful,<ref> in ] of ] in discussion with Dawkins at the ] 29 May 2007</ref> and ] has said that Dawkins "brings science into disrepute"<ref>] item citing in '']'' August 2006. This brief article suggested that the reason was "by his unwillingness to embrace spirituality" but in a discussion with Dawkins on the '']'', ] stated that it was the patronising approach - interview (uncorrected transcript )</ref>

Of "good scientists who are sincerely religious", Dawkins names ], ], ], and ], but says "I remain baffled . . . by their belief in the details of the Christian religion".<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2006. ''The God Delusion''. p. 99.</ref>

===The Richard Dawkins Foundation===
{{Main|Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science}}

In 2006, Dawkins began a new foundation, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. This is currently in the development phase, but seeks generally to advance the causes of rationalism and humanism.<ref name="mission">{{cite web |url=http://www.richarddawkins.net/foundation,ourMission |title=Our Mission |accessdate=2006-11-17 |author=The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science}}</ref>

===Other fields===
], ], ], ]]]
In his role as professor of the public understanding of science, Dawkins has been a harsh critic of ] and ]. His popular work '']'' takes ]' claim &ndash; that by explaining the ] ] had diminished its beauty &ndash; and argues for the opposite conclusion. Deep space, the billions of years of life's evolution, and the microscopic workings of biology and heredity, Dawkins argues, contain more beauty and wonder than myths and pseudoscience.<ref>Richard Dawkins, 1998. ''Unweaving The Rainbow.'' Penguin.</ref> Dawkins wrote a foreword to ]'s posthumously-published ''Snake Oil'', a book devoted to debunking alternative medicine, in which he asserted that alternative medicine was harmful, if only because it distracted patients away from more successful conventional treatments, and gave people false hopes.<ref>John Diamond, Richard Dawkins (foreword) & Dominic Lawson (ed), 2001. ''Snake Oil and Other Preoccupations.'' Vintage.</ref> Dawkins states, "There is no alternative medicine. There is only medicine that works and medicine that doesn't work."<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2003. ''A Devil's Chaplain''. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.</ref>

Dawkins has expressed concern over the ] of human ] and the issue of ].<ref>David A. Coutts, 2001. "." Accessed 2006-03-31.</ref> In '']'', he briefly introduced the concept of exponential population growth, with the example of ] which, at the time the book was written, had a population that doubled every forty years. He is critical of ] attitudes to ] and ], stating that leaders who forbid ] and "express a preference for 'natural' methods of population limitation" will get just such a method &ndash; starvation.<ref>Richard Dawkins, 1989. ''The Selfish Gene'', 2nd ed. Oxford University Press.</ref>

As a supporter of the '']'' &ndash; a movement to extend certain moral and legal ]s to all ] &ndash; Dawkins contributed an article entitled "Gaps In The Mind" to the ''Great Ape Project'' book edited by Paola Cavalieri and ]. In this essay, Dawkins criticises contemporary society's moral attitudes as being based on a "discontinuous, speciesist imperative".<ref>Richard Dawkins, 1993. "." In ''The Great Ape Project'', Paola Cavalieri & Peter Singer eds. London: Fourth Estate. (Web version retrieved ] ].)</ref>

Dawkins also regularly comments in the newspapers and weblogs on contemporary political issues; opinions expressed include opposition to the ],<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2003. “”, '']'', ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref> the ],<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2007. “”, '']'', ]. Retrieved ].</ref> and US President ].<ref>Richard Dawkins, 2003. “”, ''The Guardian'' ]. Retrieved 5 April 2007.</ref> Several such articles were included in '']'', an anthology of articles about science, religion and politics.

==Awards and recognition==
Dawkins holds ] in science from the ], the ]<ref>Durham News & Events Service, 2006. "." Accessed 2006-04-11.</ref> and ], and an honorary doctorate from the ] and from the ].<ref name="cv"/> He also holds honorary doctorates of letters from the ] and ], and was elected Fellow of the ] in 1997 and ] in 2001.<ref name="cv"/> He is vice-president of the ].

Dawkins has won numerous awards, including the Royal Society of Literature Award (1987), ] Literary Prize (1987), ] Silver Medal (1989), ] (1990), ] (1994), Humanist of the Year Award (1996), the fifth ] (1997), ] (2001), ] (2001), and the Bicentennial Kelvin Medal of ] (2002).<ref name="cv"/> Dawkins topped '']'' magazine's 2004 list of the top 100 public British intellectuals, as decided by the readers, receiving twice as many votes as the runner-up.<ref>David Herman, 2004. "." ''Prospect'' magazine. Retrieved ], ].</ref> In 2005, the ]-based Alfred Toepfer Foundation awarded him their ] in recognition of his "concise and accessible presentation of scientific knowledge".<ref>British Embassy in Berlin, 2005. "." Accessed 2006-01-29.</ref> Dawkins was the ] Author of the Year for 2007.<ref>{{cite web | publisher = Publishing News | url = http://www.britishbookawards.co.uk/pnbb_winners2007.asp?#3 | title = Galaxy British Book Awards - Winners & Shortlists 2007 | date = ] |accessmonthday = April 21 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref>
Dawkins was listed in '']'' magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007.<ref></ref>

Since 2003, the ] has awarded a prize during their annual conferences, honouring an outstanding atheist whose work has done most to raise public awareness of atheism during that year. It is known as the "Richard Dawkins award", in honour of Dawkins' own work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/04/30/dawkins/index.html|title=The atheist|publisher=Salon|date=2005-04-30|first=Gordy|last=Slack|accessdate=2007-08-03}}</ref>

==Controversy==
A statement Dawkins made claiming that the ''Jewish lobby'' is "monopolizing American foreign policy" was criticized by the ] and other Jewish organization as ]<ref name=ynet>http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3457718,00.html</ref>. ], national director of the ADL commented, "This is classical anti-Semitism. Just because it's wrapped around an issue of atheism doesn't make it any less virulent, anti-Semitic and dangerous"<ref name=ynet />

==Publications==
===Books===
* '']'' (1976, 1989, 2006) ISBN 0-19-286092-5
* '']'' (1982, 1999) ISBN 0-19-288051-9
* '']'' (1986, 1991, 2006) ISBN 0-393-31570-3
* '']'' (1995) ISBN 0-465-06990-8; Audio (2000) ISBN 0-7528-3985-3
* '']'' (1996) ISBN 0-393-31682-3
* '']'' (1998) ISBN 0-618-05673-4
* '']'' (2003) ISBN 0-618-33540-4
* '']'' (2004) ISBN 0-618-00583-8; Audio (2005) ISBN 0-7528-7321-0
* '']'' (2006) ISBN 0-618-68000-4; Audio (2006) ISBN 1-84657-037-9

===Selected essays===
* ] (1993) &ndash; Religion as a mental virus.
* (1995) &ndash; A critical view of ].
* (1998) &ndash; A critical view of ].
* (1999) &ndash; Dawkins' argument that there is no convergence occurring between science and theism.
* (2003) &ndash; ] editorial arguing ] was the real victor of the ].
* (2004) &ndash; Argues that religion may have no survival value other than to itself.
* (2004) &ndash; On ], its usage and a theory of how it evolved.
* , and (2005) &ndash; A series of three articles written after a visit to the ].
See also (no longer maintained) and .

===Selected documentaries===
*'']''
*'']''
*'']''
*'']''
*'']''
*'']''
*'']''
*'']''

===Books about Dawkins and his ideas===
* Ed Sexton (2001) ''Dawkins and the Selfish Gene'' (ISBN 1-84046-238-8) &ndash; A short summary and defence of Dawkins' ideas.
* Kim Sterelny (2001) ''Dawkins vs Gould: Survival of the Fittest'' (ISBN 1-84046-249-3) &ndash; Debates on evolutionary theory between Dawkins and ].
* ] (2005) '']'' (ISBN 1-4051-2538-1) &ndash; A critique of Dawkins' attack on theistic religion.
* Alan Grafen & ] (eds.) (2006) '']'' (ISBN 0-19-929116-0) &ndash; An anthology of 25 essays on Dawkins and his work.
* ] (2006) '']'' (ISBN 978-0745952628) &ndash; A critique of Dawkins' suggestion that religion does more harm than good.
* ] (2007) '']'' (ISBN 978-0281059270) &ndash; A critical response to Dawkins' ''The God Delusion''.
* ] (2007) '']'' (ISBN 9781846680489) &ndash; "An angelic riposte to The God Delusion."
* David Robertson (2007) ''The Dawkins Letters'' (ISBN 978-1845502614) &ndash; "Challenging atheist myths."

:See also: and at the Richard Dawkins official website.


The reverse side of the coin featured the image of a ].
<br clear="left"/>
==References== ==References==
{{refbegin}}
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
* {{cite book | title=Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values | edition= 19th ed. | editor=Ian W. Pitt | publisher=Renniks Publications | location = ] | year=2000 | id=ISBN 0-9585574-4-6 }}
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==External links== ==External links==
*
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons}}
'''Websites'''
*
**
*
**
* from the ]
* , extensive website on Dawkins.
* , '']'' profile.


{{start box}}
'''Interviews and feature articles'''
{{succession box | title=Two Cents (Australian) | before=Denomination Created | after=Denomination Abolished | years=1966&ndash;1991 }}
* , profile by Michael Schrage, '']'', July 1995.
{{end box}}
* , interview with Frank Miele, ''Scepsis'', 1995.
* , criticism of Dawkins' atheism and belief in evolution as a 'secular religion', ], '']'', 2000.
*, profile by Simon Hattenstone, '']'', ], ].
* , transcript of a BBC radio interview for the ''Belief'' series, 2004.
* , interview with Jim Holt, '']'', ], ].
* , interview with Gordy Slack, '']'', ], ].
* , profile by John Crace, '']'', ], ].
* , interview with Steve Paulson, '']'', ], ].
* , discussion with ], '']'', ], ]
* , ], January/February 2007
* , interview with ], '']'', ], ]
* , interview with ], '']'', ], ]


{{-}}
'''Multimedia'''
{{AUD}}
* and files featuring Dawkins. (Note: these links also contain media files not directly related to Dawkins personally)
* — links to videos which include Richard Dawkins with thumbnails and descriptions.
* '''' on DVD contains uncut and unedited recordings of Dawkins' conversations with Professor McGrath and Bishop Harries.


]
{{Dawkins}}

{{Persondata
|NAME=Dawkins, Richard
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Dawkins, Clinton Richard
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= Evolutionary theorist, atheist, humanist, and sceptic
|DATE OF BIRTH=March 26, 1941
|PLACE OF BIRTH=Nairobi, Kenya
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawkins, Richard}}
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Revision as of 16:32, 10 October 2007

2 Cent Piece
Australia
Value0.02 AUD
Mass5.18 g g
Diameter21.59 mm
Composition97% copper
2.5% zinc
0.5% tin
Years of minting1966–1991 and 2006
Obverse
File:Australian-2-cent-coin-observse.JPG
DesignQueen Elizabeth II, Australia's Queen
Design date1966
Reverse
File:1983-Australian-2-cent-coin.JPG
DesignFrill-necked Lizard
DesignerStuart Devlin
Design date1966
File:Australian-2-cent-coin-both-sides.JPG

The Australian 2 cent coin was the second least valued coin until it was withdrawn from circulation in 1992.

The coins were then melted down to make bronze medals for the 2000 Summer Olympics.

The reverse side of the coin featured the image of a Frill-necked Lizard.

References

External links

Preceded byDenomination Created Two Cents (Australian)
1966–1991 		Succeeded byDenomination Abolished

A$

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