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Richard Dawkins on Fairy Tales and Retir...

Richard Dawkins says he will spend his retirement writing a book for children. The former Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University wants to find out if fantasy stories affect their readers' abilities to think rationally.

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5 Comments

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jiffyjaffa : LVL 35: VP 4.3: said:

jiffyjaffa

3 votes NegativePositive

386 days 1 hour ago...

Wow, people don`t know why a year is a year? that is fucked up.

but i guess if you still think the sun goe round the (flat) earth it wouldn`t make sense to you.

On another note I don`t think fantasy books are realy a valid target, nobody realy thinks they are real and there`s nothing wrong with a little escapism.

DoctorRandomercam : LVL 34: VP 4.2: said:

DoctorRandomercam

2 votes NegativePositive

385 days 23 hours ago...

^ How do you know? You don`t. We assume there`s nothing damaging about it because it`s so commonplace. But if Dawkins has taught us anything, it`s to look at evidence, not tradition. Allow me a syllogism:

Statement 1: A lot of people are stupid. Most people in fact. At least, a percentile that seems frankly unfair on us as a species.
Statement 2: A lot of people are taught to believe in fantasy (Santa, Tooth Fairy, Religion etc.) Again, not just some of us. Most of us.
Therefore?...

That ^^ is your evidence. Flimsy and laconic though it may be, it deserves some serious consideration.

Tajumera : LVL 36: VP 4.4: said:

Tajumera

5 votes NegativePositive

385 days 18 hours ago...

It`s not pure fantasy that bothers me. It`s entertainment with the "you have to believe, Billy" undertones, which are popular in kids fantasy movies, but also in just about any movie involving religious characters.

You tend to have the intelligent but cynical and pessimistic non believer and the friend who is obviously less intelligent, but apparently more valuable as a person because of blind faith. In the end, the non believer confronts his disbelief which is usually weak and emotion based, and decides to join the rest of the flock. The end, another atheist cured, children. And all without presenting any logical basis for either character`s stance.

exploder : LVL 48: VP 5: said:

exploder

1 votes NegativePositive

385 days 8 hours ago...

I really like his comment that there`s so much magic in science. Aside from the fact that that`s clearly NOT what he litterally meant, we are at a time in history where the reality is way better than most fantasy can touch. That`s why I like (good) SCIFI. So I can relate to why he would be motivated to explore the practical application of the amazingness of real science with good stories for kids. Bravo, and good luck good sir.

drogue : LVL 16: VP 2.5: said:

drogue

0 votes NegativePositive

385 days 5 hours ago...

I still hold with the Campbellian notion that our myths, legends and religious books are meant to describe "inner gateways" along our pathway of maturation. The allegories were our earliest way to express problem solving, and I think they have value.

A knight slaying a dragon isn`t a literal story of course, but a polemic on the value of risk-taking to defeat an unreasonable enemy or problem. They were written in an emotional language, which helps the stories resonate for kids, and inspire us, and yet Dawkins seems to labor under the illusion that a child can`t differentiate between mythology and science, an attitude which does them a disservice, if you ask me.

The suggestion that we have now to rid ourselves of mythology is overreaching. We should rid ourselves of cleaving to literal interpretations of myths which were passed down to inspire, and comfort, not become the basis of mean-spirited laws and holy wars. Our sense of fantasy works hand in hand with the same scientific inspirations that in many ways have led to us being able to communicate in this forum--let`s not chuck it all in favor of some neo-enlightenment rationality fetish.

Of course there`s magic in science, and a kid with any kind of mind knows that, but that there`s also a great amount of tedium. Plus, outside the worldview of certain films from the `80s, science is not likely to help you much in the emotional shitstorm of standing up to a schoolyard bully, or an abusive parent any more than government PSAs about your rights as a child. Stories about dragons can actually help, and they have done so for thousands of years.

To try and restrict our "emotional life" to only that which may be measured is no better an idea than teaching that Adam and Eve were real people created out of mud and ribs.

My apologies for the long post - I`m off now to go get a mud and ribs sandwich.

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