Dawkins and Evolutionary Naturalism
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins argues that evolutionary theory eliminates the need for design arguments and supports atheism. His gene-centric view (selfish genes driving evolution) and memetics (ideas replicate culturally) extend naturalistic explanation to culture and religion. Dawkins is prominent in new atheism movement.
Real World
In his 2006 book The God Delusion, Dawkins argued that the complexity of the eye — once a classic design argument — is fully explained by incremental natural selection, directly challenging Paley's watchmaker analogy without any need for a designer.
Exam Focus
When assessing Dawkins, engage with the philosophical distinction between scientific explanation and metaphysical questions; examiners reward candidates who note science cannot disprove God's existence.
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