Richard Dawkins

An evolutionary scientist who became a vocal critic of religious belief, Richard Dawkins sparked praise and controversy after publishing his best-selling novel, The God Delusion (2006), where he argued from a scientific perspective that there was likely no supernatural creator and that believing in a personal god was tantamount to delusion. Because of his staunch advocacy of science and treating fundamentalist believers with barely contained disdain, Dawkins became a lightning rod for critics and a hero for all manner of atheists, agnostics and non-believers who previously had no one in the public eye airing their particular views. In fact, Dawkins was part of a new coterie of skeptics that included Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens that took to the airwaves in defense of non-belief while attacking religion head-on. Prior to The God Delusion, Dawkins first broke onto the evolutionary biology scene with The Selfish Gene (1976) and first tackled religious fundamentalists with The Blind Watchmaker (1986). Due to the popularity of his books and lecture series, Dawkins began writing and hosting documentaries for British television, including "Nice Guys Finish First" (BBC, 1986), "Growing Up in the Universe" (BBC, 1991), "Break the Science Barrier" (Channel 4, 1996), and the award-winning "The Genius of Charles Darwin" (Channel 4, 2008). Whether teaching to a small class at Oxford University or reaching millions through his books and documentaries, Dawkins fearlessly took on religious superstition with his passion for science and knowledge.