The God Delusion
First edition UK cover | |
| Author | Richard Dawkins |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subjects |
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| Publisher | Bantam Press |
Publication date | 2 October 2006 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 464 |
| ISBN | 978-0-618-68000-9 |
| 211/.8 22 | |
| LC Class | BL2775.3 .D39 2006 |
The God Delusion is a 2006 book by British evolutionary biologist and ethologist Richard Dawkins, in which he argues that a supernatural creator, God, does not exist, and that belief in a personal god qualifies as a delusion, which he defines as a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. In the book, he expresses his agreement to Robert Pirsig's statement in Lila (1991) that "when one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion."[1] He argues in favour of the possibility of morality existing independently of religion and proposes alternative explanations for the origins of both religion and morality.
In early December 2006, it reached number four in the New York Times Hardcover Non-Fiction Best Seller list after nine weeks on the list.[2] The book has attracted widespread commentary and critical reception, with many works written in response.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 406. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.; "Preface on-line" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2008. (101 KB)
- ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction – New York Times". The New York Times. 3 December 2006. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2006.