Dawkins and Determinism

[naimless]

For starters, I believe that there is probably no god and that the universe is deterministic. Dawkins appears to believe similarly.

Now, why would a man who has discovered this allow himself to be emotionally attached to spreading atheism?

There is something so trivial about it all.

[catfish]

He was probrably abused by pedophile priests...
.

[naimless]

I had considered this, but Wiki explains:

Dawkins describes his childhood as "a normal Anglican upbringing". He was confirmed, and embraced Christianity until his mid-teens, at which point he concluded that the theory of evolution was a better explanation for life's complexity, and ceased believing in a god. Dawkins states: "the main residual reason why I was religious was from being so impressed with the complexity of life and feeling that it had to have a designer, and I think it was when I realised that Darwinism was a far superior explanation that pulled the rug out from under the argument of design. And that left me with nothing."

I just don't understand why a man left with nothing is motivated to spread nothing.

[Finn]

I'm definitely 100% atheist (and I lean toward determinism), but I don't try to spread my non-belief. While I love rationality, skepticism, and critical thought (which are what led me to atheism as well as existential and moral nihilism), I actually think it's better for society if some (perhaps even most) people have some type of non-fundamentalist faith -- not necessarily in a god or gods, but in some type of transcendent moral framework and purpose for life. Not everyone can handle existential nihilism, which follows from a naturalistic worldview.

[naimless]

Not everyone can handle existential nihilism, which follows from a naturalistic worldview.

Indeed. Considering the 13.7 billion years of the universe blows my mind every day. I don't gaze in the wonder of it, but rather watch people from afar that don't think about these things.

I find it is detrimental to my health, and wouldn't wish it upon another. But experiences are relative, so this isn't even the significant thing that I don't understand.

What gets me is that, if evolution is to be believed, then we evolved to be suicide bombers and soldiers and lone gunmen, as much as we evolved to be heroin addicts and smokers and herb tokers, as much as we evolved to be christians and muslims and atheists...

Plenty of scientists explore their fields and do not tell others they are wrong about their personal views, however fucked up they are. It just strikes me as odd that someone with a deterministic view could blame someone else for religious ignorance, indecision, intolerance, or incapability of understanding.

[Finn]

If hard determinism is true, then Dawkins doesn't have a choice in the matter, either .

[Anomalocaris]

I find it is detrimental to my health, and wouldn't wish it upon another. But experiences are relative, so this isn't even the significant thing that I don't understand.

Dawkins is predetermined to act in a way that is predetermined to appear to contradict predetermination to you.

Whether your health is harmed or not is predetermined, nor do you have any choice in whether to wish it onto another. But you are predetermine to doubt to a precisely predetermined degree whether these things are predetermined.

[catfish]

^^^^^^^
All of that was predetermined...
Wherever you go, there you are...
.

[Anomalocaris]

^^^^^^^
All of that was predetermined...
Wherever you go, there you are...
.

As if having arrived there, you really could have been anywhere else instead.

[naimless]

If hard determinism is true, then Dawkins doesn't have a choice in the matter, either .

Dawkins is predetermined to act in a way that is predetermined to appear to contradict predetermination to you.

Whether your health is harmed or not is predetermined, nor do you have any choice in whether to wish it onto another. But you are predetermine to doubt to a precisely predetermined degree whether these things are predetermined.

I realise this, I'm just unsure of how or why someone that realises this acts in the way he does. It's intriguing to me, I am determined in working out what determined it.

He once admitted to a fellow atheist that, "I feel as if I have free will, even if I don't". It is interesting he does not entertain this approach when considering those who feel as if they have god.