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« Thinking About Canon (Seventh Update) | Main | June in Tuscany »

Stanley Fish Takes Three Atheists to the Cleaners (Part Two)

In his latest (June 17, 2007), Fish once again punches holes in the reasoning of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens. The three turn out to be believers, caught in a web of belief, argument, and working hypotheses, as we all are. Dawkins and Harris believe in such things as the ability of natural selection to produce altruism, including, one assumes, the capacity of one person to lay down her life for another. I have no brief against the natural selection hypothesis. It is nevertheless counter-intuitive in relation to certain sets of data. Which reminds me of the God-hypothesis.

The three claim to reason not at all like the believers they choose to skewer. How wrong they are.

The piece includes a quote from and link to Francis Collins, a scientist of the same caliber as Dawkins. Collins, however, happens to be a Christian. He’s not afraid to talk about it in the public square. I am thankful for him.

If you want to read Fish and do not have a subscription to the New York Times, a free trial subscription will get you in.

For my review of Fish’s initial critique of the three, go here.

 

June 18, 2007 in Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Stanley Fish |

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