tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8676829.post-37326576848285155022008-03-25T11:38:00.000-04:002008-03-25T11:38:00.000-04:00The Dawkins piece on cultural relativism was written at a particular time in history when it seems to be important to him to fire a shot across the bows of the humanities and social sciences (see <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_wars" REL="nofollow">this article</A> or Ullica Segerstrale's book on "The Science Wars."<BR/><BR/>Dawkins' predilections have always been toward explaining everything via his field of specialty (thus, memes) so he is exceedingly hostile to attempts by the humanities to explain his field, which, in part, is what cultural relativism drives us toward: looking at science as a social institution rather than just as a process of revealing the truth.<BR/><BR/>So, yes, he's arguing very selectively, with people who take the most extreme sorts of positions opposite him, and even then I don't think he plays exactly fair with their point-of-view.Oran P. Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00405731913588504085noreply@blogger.com