Richard Dawkins vs. Harry Potter?
Why the author of 'The God Delusion' is writing a children's book
Harry Potter: Bad for kids?
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Apparently, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins thinks books like Harry Potter might have a negative effect on the emotional development of kids, said Dave Itzkoff in The New York Times. “Having sufficiently inflamed the passions of his adult readers with The God Delusion—his treatise on rationalism and atheism”—Dawkins has now decided to write a book that will “explore children’s relationships with fairy tales and encourage them to think about the world scientifically rather than mythologically.”
“This isn’t about Harry Potter at all,” said Harrison Scott Key in WorldMag.com. Dawkins has a beef with “Christianity and theism in general.” He believes that teaching kids about hell, for instance, is a form of child abuse. Will it make “Junior feel so much better to know the chasm of unfeeling blackness will envelope him upon death” instead?
Look, it “depends a great deal on context” and the “way in which the stories are presented,” said Derek James in Thinking as a Profession. And even if studies showed that fantasy books do have a negative effect on kids, “I’m pretty sure Dawkins” is more interested in “informing parents so they can make choices about what and how to present material to children” than he is in condemning books like Harry Potter.
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8 Comments
Posted by ozi, Sunday, November 2, 2008, 6:07 am i appreciate Dawkins making effort in this study, however the truth hurts when you reveal about the teaching on theism. Learning about Good and Evil will open a new contrast to enlighten children. Albeit this effort, Dawkins is just jealous about fantasy fiction in general. Maybe Dawkins himself have a sad childhood.
Posted by Raideen!, Monday, November 3, 2008, 11:37 am Harry: "Imperio, 'Be a nice guy, a good sport, a human being.'" Dawkins: "Okay."
Posted by Kam, Monday, November 3, 2008, 8:06 pm No, I will not read Dawkins' book espousing his ideas encouraging children "to think about the world scientifically rather than mythologically.” I await instead Dawkins' objective "research" proving that there is a negative effect. I am tired of today's scientist expecting society to accept their loony theories without doing the research legwork behind their purported b.s. Put up or shut up!
Posted by mazoon , Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 7:13 am Harry potter you Date Happy birthday? lam mazoon for oman . my Date Happy birthday:23/2/1993 . you book like Harry potter? Than you.
Posted by Rich, Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 2:27 pm Thanks for writing, mazoon. Book light bulb Sanchez banana canister. Red desk cup, coat hanger.
Posted by Harsha, Thursday, November 13, 2008, 11:42 am Douglas adams was a personal freind of Richard Dawkins, and He has no reason to feel jealous of substandard fantasy books. He doesn't want people to jump to the supernatural as easily as they do now.
Posted by Josh, Friday, November 14, 2008, 10:14 pm I think that becoming a fundementalist destroys your ability to think sanely. Religious fundementalists have attacked Harry Potter hor promoting witchcraft and now Atheist fundementalists (if thats even a word) are attacking Harry POtter for teaching kids to believe in irrational things. Oh give me a break. Should we ban Toy Story, how about Lion King? It is human nature to dream, to believe, to invent. I hope i never become as narrow and pathetic as these people.
Posted by Muriel , Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 9:58 am I bet Dawkins has a low emotional IQ, and is uncomfortable with the fact that normal humans make decisions for emotional reasons, although ideally they are informed by well-meditated science. The heart has reasons that reason knows not of. Maybe Dawkins should try meditation. But how can Dawkins love Mother Earth if he hates mythology and mystery?
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