Richard Dawkins Award Explained

Richard Dawkins Award
Image Upright:0.6
Awarded For:Publicly proclaiming "the values of secularism and rationalism, upholding scientific truth wherever it may lead."
Presenter:Center for Inquiry
Holder:21 individuals

The Richard Dawkins Award is an annual prize awarded by the Center for Inquiry (CFI). It was established in 2003 and was initially awarded by the Atheist Alliance of America coordinating with Richard Dawkins and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.[1] In 2019, the award was formally moved to CFI. [2] CFI is a US nonprofit organization that variously claims on its website to promote reason, science, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values, or science, reason, and secular values.[3] The award was initially presented by the Atheist Alliance of America to honor an "outstanding atheist", who taught or advocated scientific knowledge and acceptance of nontheism, and raised public awareness.[4] The award is currently presented by the Center for Inquiry to an individual associated with science, scholarship, education, or entertainment, and who "publicly proclaims the values of secularism and rationalism, upholding scientific truth wherever it may lead." They state that the recipient must be approved by Dawkins himself.

The Richard Dawkins Award is named in honor of the British evolutionary biologist. In a 2013 poll conducted by Prospect magazine, Dawkins was ranked first in the list of "world thinkers" rankings. He is famous for his atheistic beliefs,[5] and has written books including The God Delusion and Outgrowing God: A Beginner's Guide.[6] [7] The first Richard Dawkins Award was received by James Randi, a magician who investigated and debunked various paranormal claims.[8] In 2005, Penn Jillette and Teller, jointly as Penn & Teller, received the award.[9] In 2009, Bill Maher received the award; due to his views on vaccines and his criticism of evidence-based medicine, oncologist David Gorski referred to him receiving the award as "inappropriate". In 2020, Javed Akhtar became the first Indian to receive the award.[10] In 2021, Tim Minchin received the award. In 2022, Neil deGrasse Tyson received the award saying it was an honor that he would hold above all others.

List of recipients

Year!scope=col class="unsortable"
Portraitscope=col width=135px Namescope=col class="unsortable" Notesscope=col class="unsortable"
2003 scope=row style="text-align:center"; Randi was a magician who investigated and debunked mind-reading, ghost whispering, fortune-telling, and other paranormal claims. Professionally known as "Amazing Randi", he was a recipient of the MacArthur award.[11]
2004scope=row style="text-align:center"; Druyan is a film producer, director, lecturer, and a writer. She is an agnostic, and asserts that religious faith is "antithetical to the values of science".[12] [13] [14] [15]
2005scope=row style="text-align:center"; Penn & TellerPenn Jillette and Teller, jointly known as Penn & Teller, are an Emmy Award winning magician duo. Both identify as atheists.[16] [17]
2006scope=row style="text-align:center"; Sweeney is an actor and writer, notable for her work in Saturday Night Live. She has written My Beautiful Loss of Faith Story explaining her atheism.[18] [19]
2007scope=row style="text-align:center"; Dennett served as a professor and the director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. He has authored various books including Consciousness Explained, Darwin's Dangerous Idea, and Kinds of Minds.[20] He argues that we "must not preserve the myth of God – it was a useful crutch, but we've outgrown it."[21] [22]
2008scope=row style="text-align:center"; Ali is a Somalian immigrant who served as a member of Dutch Parliament. She is a former Muslim converted to atheism, and a vocal critic of the Quran.[23] In 2023, Ali converted from atheism to Christianity and is still critical of Islam and the Quran.[24] [25] [26] [27]
2009scope=row style="text-align:center"; Maher is a political satirist and the host of Real Time with Bill Maher. He starred in the 2008 film Religulous, which the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science referred as "the most prominent film against religion in the United States" of 2008.[28] [29] [30]
2010scope=row style="text-align:center"; Jacoby is an author and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She is an atheist, and has authored various books, including The Age of American Unreason and Strange Gods: A Secular History of Conversion.[31] [32]
2011scope=row style="text-align:center"; Hitchens was a journalist who authored the book God Is Not Great, which writer Susan Sontag called "the small world of those who till the field of ideas".[33] [34] [35]
2012scope=row style="text-align:center"; Scott is an anthropologist who served as the director of National Center for Science Education. She is an atheist.[36] [37] [38]
2013scope=row style="text-align:center"; Pinker is a linguist, psychologist, and a professor at Harvard University; he has authored How The Mind Works. He is an atheist.[39] [40] [41]
2014scope=row style="text-align:center"; Goldstein is an author with a Ph.D. in philosophy. She is a recipient of 2014 National Humanities Medal. She authored the fictional book 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, which The Guardian writer Jonathan Beckman referred as "[mocking] the delusions of both the godly and the godless".[42] [43] [44] [45]
2015scope=row style="text-align:center"; Coyne is a professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. He is a supporter of evolution, and asserts that "belief in God is [...] detrimental, even dangerous, and fundamentally incompatible with science."[46] [47] [48]
2016scope=row style="text-align:center"; Krauss is an American-Canadian physicist. He has been referred by Melissa Pugh, then president of Atheist Alliance of America, as a "passionate advocate of atheism and reason known throughout the world".[49]
2017scope=row style="text-align:center"; Silverman is an American who has served as the president of the American Atheists organization. The Washington Post referred to him as one of America's "most prominent atheists".[50] [51] [52]
2018scope=row style="text-align:center"; Fry is a British comedian, actor, and an activist who received the award because of "his role in the world of skepticism, atheism, rationalism."[53]
2019scope=row style="text-align:center"; Gervais is a British comedian, screenwriter, and actor, known for his critical thinking, rationalism, and secularism.[54]
2020scope=row style="text-align:center"; Akhtar is a poet and lyricist, who is the first Indian to receive the award. He received the award for "critical thinking, holding religious dogma up to scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values."[55]
2021scope=row style="text-align:center"; Minchin is a musician and comedian, who received the award for "inspiring a global audience to find joy in reason, science, and skepticism."[56] [57]
2022scope=row style="text-align:center"; Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Since 1996, he has been the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City.[58]
2023scope=row style="text-align:center"; Bill Nye is an American mechanical engineer, science communicator, and television presenter. He is best known as the host of the science education television show Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993–1999) and as a science educator in pop culture.[59]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Richard Dawkins Award . 11 June 2020 .
  2. Web site: April 16, 2019 . Richard Dawkins Award Moving to the Center for Inquiry . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210302124516/https://centerforinquiry.org/press_releases/richard-dawkins-award-moving-to-the-center-for-inquiry/ . March 2, 2021 . April 4, 2022 . Center for Inquiry.
  3. Web site: About | Center for Inquiry . 17 May 2018 .
  4. Web site: The Richards Dawkins Award . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220115063112/https://www.atheistallianceamerica.org/the-richard-dawkins-award/ . January 15, 2022 . April 4, 2022 . Atheist Alliance of America.
  5. News: Dugdale . John . April 25, 2013 . Richard Dawkins Named World's Top Thinker in Poll . . live . April 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131112212108/http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2013/apr/25/richard-dawkins-named-top-thinker . November 12, 2013. 0261-3077.
  6. News: McCrum . Robert . April 4, 2016 . The 100 best nonfiction books: No 10 – The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins . . April 6, 2022 . 0261-3077 . April 14, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190414004259/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/04/100-best-nonfiction-books-10-selfish-gene-richard-dawkins . live .
  7. News: Burkeman . Oliver . October 2, 2019 . This Life and Outgrowing God Review – Heaven, Atheism and What Gives Life Meaning . . April 7, 2022 . 0261-3077 . September 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210904053542/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/02/this-life-martin-hagglund-outgrowing-god-richard-dawkins-review . live .
  8. 2021 . Magicians, Skeptics Share Their Memories of James Randi . live . . 45 . 1 . 0194-6730 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211031071756/https://skepticalinquirer.org/2021/01/magicians-skeptics-share-their-memories-of-james-randi/ . October 31, 2021 . April 4, 2022.
  9. News: Collins . Glenn . December 4, 1988 . Up to New Tricks . . live . subscription . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220309044015/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/04/magazine/up-to-new-tricks.html . March 9, 2022. 0362-4331.
  10. News: Joshi . Namrata . June 8, 2020 . Javed Akhtar Becomes First Indian to Receive Richard Dawkins Award . . April 6, 2022 . 0971-751X . August 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210812044821/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/javed-akhtar-first-indian-to-receive-richard-dawkins-award/article31775080.ece . live .
  11. News: Fox . Margalit . October 21, 2020 . James Randi, Magician Who Debunked Paranormal Claims, Dies at 92 . . April 6, 2022 . 0362-4331 . October 22, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201022104413/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/obituaries/james-randi-dead.html . live .
  12. News: December 22, 2006 . Carl Sagan's Scientific 'Search for God' . . April 6, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406122005/https://www.npr.org/transcripts/6664194 . live .
  13. Book: Achenbach . Captured by Aliens: The Search for Life and Truth in a Very Large Universe . . 1999 . 978-0-684-84856-3 . 95–96 . registration . Internet Archive.
  14. Web site: O'Hehir . Andrew . June 18, 2014 . 'Why is God telling me to stop asking questions?': Meet the woman behind Neil deGrasse Tyson's 'Cosmos' . live . April 7, 2022 . . March 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220320153255/https://www.salon.com/2014/06/18/why_is_god_telling_me_to_stop_asking_questions_meet_the_woman_behind_neil_degrasse_tysons_cosmos/ .
  15. Web site: June 8, 2020 . Richard Dawkins Award past winners – Javed Akhtar to Stephen Fry . live . April 4, 2022 . . . October 30, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211030184032/https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/photos/india/in-pics-richard-dawkins-award-past-winners-javed-akhtar-to-stephen-fry-5373551.html .
  16. News: Jillette . Penn . June 3, 2016 . Penn Jillette: Time for atheists to stand up and be counted . . April 6, 2022 . March 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220306224131/https://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/02/opinions/atheists-reason-rally-jillette/index.html . live .
  17. Web site: Teller . live . April 6, 2022 . . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406122007/https://ffrf.org/ftod-cr/item/14936-teller .
  18. News: Saturday Night Live's Julia Sweeney . . April 6, 2022 . August 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190824101234/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6387729 . live .
  19. News: Miller . David Ian . August 15, 2005 . Finding My Religion: Julia Sweeney Talks About How She Became an Atheist . . April 6, 2022 . 1932-8672 . April 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220402070651/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/FINDING-MY-RELIGION-Julia-Sweeney-talks-about-3171384.php . live .
  20. Web site: Daniel C. Dennett, Director . live . April 6, 2022 . . March 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220305185809/https://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/dennett/ .
  21. News: Dennett . Daniel . July 16, 2009 . The Folly of Pretence . . April 6, 2022 . 0261-3077 . December 1, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211201033910/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/jul/16/daniel-dennett-belief-atheism . live .
  22. Web site: November 11, 2009 . Good Reasons for 'Believing' in God – Dan Dennett, AAI 2007 . live . April 4, 2022 . . July 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210714190557/https://richarddawkins.net/2009/11/good-reasons-for-believing-in-god-dan-dennett-aai-2007-2/ .
  23. News: Brockes . Emma . May 8, 2010 . Ayaan Hirsi Ali: 'Why are Muslims so hypersensitive?' . . April 6, 2022 . 0261-3077 . October 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211025003802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/may/08/ayaan-hirsi-ali-interview . live .
  24. Web site: Why I am now a Christian . 11 November 2023 .
  25. News: Opinion | Where Does Religion Come From? . The New York Times . 15 November 2023 . Douthat . Ross .
  26. Web site: The Infidel Turned Christian . 29 November 2023 .
  27. Web site: Muslim-turned-atheist rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali says she is now a Christian . 12 November 2023 .
  28. News: August 9, 2005 . Political Satirist Bill Maher's 'New Rules' . . April 6, 2022 . February 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110219031226/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4792262 . live .
  29. Web site: September 29, 2009 . A Note About the 'Richard Dawkins Award' Being Presented to Bill Maher This Weekend . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130623001937/http://old.richarddawkins.net/articles/4388 . June 23, 2013 . June 23, 2013 . Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.
  30. Gerbic . Susan . 2016 . A Skeptic's Woe over Margaret Cho . live . . 0194-6730 . April 4, 2022 . June 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210607071707/https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/a-skeptics-woe-over-margaret-cho/ .
  31. News: February 15, 2008 . Susan Jacoby . . April 6, 2022 . May 16, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516164546/https://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02152008/profile.html . live .
  32. News: February 16, 2016 . 'Strange Gods' Chronicles The History Of Secularism And Conversion . . April 13, 2022 . April 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413063938/https://www.npr.org/2016/02/17/467067269/strange-gods-chronicles-the-history-of-secularism-and-conversion . live .
  33. News: Wilby . Peter . December 16, 2011 . Christopher Hitchens Obituary . . April 6, 2022 . 0261-3077 . April 3, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190403051343/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/dec/16/christopher-hitchens-obituary . live .
  34. News: December 18, 2011 . Christopher Hitchens: One Man's Service in the War Against Delusion . . April 4, 2022 . November 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201126041043/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/dec/18/christopher-hitchens-atheism-dawkins-award-speech . live . 0261-3077.
  35. News: Homberger . Eric . December 29, 2004 . Susan Sontag Obituary . . April 13, 2022 . live . 0261-3077 . May 15, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190515025126/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/dec/29/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries .
  36. News: Lam . Monica . February 7, 2003 . Berkeley Scientist Leads Fight to Stop Teaching of Creationism . . April 6, 2022 . 1932-8672 . November 16, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111116192333/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2003%2F02%2F07%2FEB75914.DTL . live .
  37. Web site: September 2, 2012 . 2012 Richard Dawkins Award for Eugenie Scott . live . April 4, 2022 . . December 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211208023240/https://richarddawkins.net/2012/09/2012-richard-dawkins-award-for-eugenie-scott-2/ .
  38. News: September 7, 2012 . 2012 Richard Dawkins Award goes to Eugenie Scott . . April 4, 2022 . November 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111181034/http://www.theguardian.com/science/grrlscientist/2012/sep/07/2 . live . 0261-3077.
  39. News: Powell . Michael . July 15, 2020 . How a Famous Harvard Professor Became a Target Over His Tweets . . April 6, 2022 . 0362-4331 . February 10, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220210201038/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/us/steven-pinker-harvard.html . live .
  40. News: November 6, 1999 . Steven Pinker: The mind reader . . April 6, 2022 . 0261-3077 . February 17, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200217233149/https://www.theguardian.com/books/1999/nov/06/1 . live .
  41. Web site: April 6, 2013 . Dr. Steven Pinker to Receive 2013 Richard Dawkins Award . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130513075127/http://atheistallianceamerica.org/index.php/press-releases . May 13, 2013 . May 13, 2013 . Atheist Alliance of America.
  42. News: September 13, 2015 . Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Named 2014 National Humanities Medal Recipient . . April 6, 2022 . May 18, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210518182415/https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/september/rebecca-newberger-goldstein-named-2014-national-humanities-medal-recipient.html . live .
  43. News: Schillinger . Liesl . January 29, 2010 . Prove It . . April 6, 2022 . 0362-4331 . June 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210614015732/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/books/review/Schillinger-t.html . live .
  44. News: Beckman . Jonathan . March 21, 2010 . 36 Arguments for the Existence of God by Rebecca Goldstein . . April 13, 2022 . 0261-3077 . April 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413063937/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/mar/21/rebecca-goldstein-36-arguments . live .
  45. Web site: August 11, 2014 . Rebecca Goldstein Receives the Richard Dawkins Award at the Atheist Alliance of America Convention . live . April 4, 2022 . . December 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211208012205/https://richarddawkins.net/2014/08/rebecca-goldstein-receives-the-richard-dawkins-award-at-the-atheist-alliance-of-america-convention/ .
  46. News: Jerry Coyne . UChicago News . . April 6, 2022 . January 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220102144440/https://news.uchicago.edu/profile/jerry-coyne . live .
  47. Tayler . Jeffrey . July 4, 2015 . Can Religion and Science Coexist? . . 1072-7825 . April 6, 2022 . March 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220319114851/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/religion-science-coexist-faith-versus-fact-coyne/396362/ . live .
  48. Web site: Dr. Jerry Coyne Receives 2015 Richard Dawkins Award . live . April 4, 2022 . . May 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210508073231/https://www.atheistallianceamerica.org/the-richard-dawkins-award/articlesjerry-coyne-receives-2015-richard-dawkins-award/ .
  49. Web site: Dr. Lawrence Krauss Receives the 2016 Richard Dawkins Award . live . April 4, 2022 . . April 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210421104738/https://www.atheistallianceamerica.org/the-richard-dawkins-award/dr-lawrence-krauss-receives-the-richard-dawkins-award/ .
  50. Web site: April 13, 2018 . Update Regarding David Silverman . live . April 6, 2022 . . January 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210128104600/https://www.atheists.org/2018/04/update-regarding-david-silverman/ .
  51. News: September 6, 2018 . America's Leading Atheist, Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Speaks Out . subscription . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180906224359/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/09/06/americas-leading-atheist-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-speaks-out/ . September 6, 2018.
  52. Web site: David Silverman, 2017 Recipient of The Richard Dawkins Award . 11 June 2017 . live . April 4, 2022 . . April 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210421114932/https://www.atheistallianceamerica.org/david-silverman-2017-recipient-of-the-richard-dawkins-award/ .
  53. Morris . Andrea . October 25, 2018 . Stephen Fry Receives Richard Dawkins Award For Lack Of Faith . . 0015-6914 . April 4, 2022 . April 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220405201405/https://gum.criteo.com/syncframe?origin=publishertag&topUrl=www.forbes.com . live .
  54. 2019 . 2019 Richard Dawkins Award Goes to Ricky Gervais . live . . 43 . 6 . 0194-6730 . subscription . April 4, 2022 . July 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210721183048/https://skepticalinquirer.org/2019/11/2019-richard-dawkins-award-goes-to-ricky-gervais/ .
  55. Fidalgo . Paul . 2020 . Richard Dawkins Award Goes to Writer-Lyricist Javed Akhtar . live . . 44 . 5 . 0194-6730 . subscription . April 4, 2022 . July 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210720163919/https://skepticalinquirer.org/2020/09/richard-dawkins-award-goes-to-writer-lyricist-javed-akhtar/ .
  56. Web site: September 20, 2021 . Musician and Comedian Tim Minchin to Receive Richard Dawkins Award in Oxford, Oct. 10 . live . April 6, 2022 . . November 11, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211111161312/https://centerforinquiry.org/press_releases/musician-and-comedian-tim-minchin-to-receive-richard-dawkins-award-in-oxford-oct-10/ .
  57. 2022 . Richard Dawkins Award Presented to Tim Minchin . live . . 46 . 1 . 0194-6730 . subscription . April 4, 2022 . April 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220404134957/https://skepticalinquirer.org/2021/12/richard-dawkins-award-presented-to-tim-minchin/ .
  58. Web site: Fidalgo . Paul . Neil deGrasse Tyson to Receive Richard Dawkins Award in Las Vegas, October 21 . The Skeptical Inquirer . 23 May 2022 . 3 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220523190120/https://centerforinquiry.org/press_releases/neil-degrasse-tyson-to-receive-richard-dawkins-award-in-las-vegas-october-21/ . 23 May 2022.
  59. Web site: Bill Nye to Receive CFI's Richard Dawkins Award in Las Vegas on Friday, October 27. . 28 August 2023.

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