The philosopher Leo Strauss once spoke of the reductio ad Hitlerum. By this he meant the promiscuous tendency of people to try to score a debating point by comparing their opponents to Hitler. The form of the argument is something like this: "My opponent doesn't like strawberry ice cream. Hitler didn't like strawberry ice cream. My opponent is just like Hitler." Strauss's point was that the reductio ad Hitlerum is the mark of the lazy and illogical mind.
Sure enough, here is Richard Dawkins employing the reductio against me in a recent comment on his website richarddawkins.net. Referring to me and a conservative rabbi named Boteach, Dawkins writes: "It occurs to me that people like Boteach and D'Souza may be honestly unaware that they shriek and yell in such an unbecoming way. Maybe this is just what preachers of a certain kind do. So people who profession is to preach, or who live their lives surrounded by preachers, just don't hear their ugly yells and shrieks as we do. They have become so inured to the preaching style of yelling that the resemblance to Hitler passes them by.
"I'm not suggesting that Boteach and D'Souza have literally damaged their ears. But at a higher cortical level they may have become desensitized through years of preaching, and exposure to preachers, so they don't hear, and literally and honestly don't understand, the strong resemblance to the hideous vocal style of Hitler. Once again, I need to emphasize that the comparison with Hitler is limited to vocal style. Of course nobody is suggesting that either Boteach or D'Souza have similar opinions to Hitler, or resemble him in any other way at all.
"But imagine listening to a Boteach speech or a D'Souza speech or a Hitler speech with no knowledge of English or German. I suspect that you'd hardly notice the difference. Contrast it with a speech by Christopher Hitchens. The voice is strong, even a little thrilling. But there's no hysteria there. The words match the content: measured, thoughtful, strong and powerful but never hysterical."
Had this not appeared on Dawkins' website, I would have thought it parody. But who can bring himself to laugh? Does Dawkins have any idea of how gross it is to compare a rabbi to Hitler on the sole ground that both men had a tendency to raise their voices? If this isn't anti-Semitism at the very least it shows a shocking disregard for what the Holocaust means to Jews. Perhaps the kindest explanation is that Dawkins has a pathological hatred for the clergy, and Boteach is a rabbi.
I, on the other hand, am a scholar and author. Dawkins, who knows this, weirdly insinuates that I am a preacher or spend most of my time with preachers. This couldn't be further from the truth. I have been a secular writer for 20 years and mostly I speak to university audiences and business groups. Moreover, the atheists I debate, like Michael Shermer and Peter Singer and Christopher Hitchens, routinely tell me how effectively I use wit and repartee and rhetorical understatement and learned analogies to make my points. Far from using "yells" and "shrieks," the only time I can recall even raising my voice was during my debate with Daniel Dennett, and this was not because I was upset but only because the microphone was not working properly.
I suspect that Dawkins has come up with this pathetic reductio ad Hitlerum in order to justify his cowardice in not debating me. "I can't debate Dinesh because he will use his Hitler voice to shout me down." Isn't the real problem that Dawkins has used his zoologist's credentials in order to wander into fields (physics, astronomy, history, phiosophy, anthropology, theology) where his knowledge is embarrassingly limited? I suspect he's worried that in a debate I will exposure his ignorance and make him an international object of ridicule.
Why not prove me wrong, Richard? Come out from under your desk and take me up on my invitation to debate. I promise to speak in whispers!
And here's some news from our Department of Atheists Who Aren't Wimps: On Friday July 11, I will debate Christopher Hitchens at the big libertarian conference Freedom Fest in Las Vegas. Our topic is "Christianity, Islam and the War on Terror." For more information go to freedomfest.com or simply click here.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 29)
1. I think Hitler was probably a better orator.
Ryan Anderson at 4:31AM on Jul 7th 2008
2. what i got from your post: people think you're like hitler, but they're mistaken because you're a wimp and get nothing done.
hannah at 6:32AM on Jul 7th 2008
3. "I, on the other hand, am a scholar and author"
"And here's some news from our Department of Atheists Who Aren't Wimps: On Friday July 11, I will debate Christopher Hitchens at the big libertarian conference Freedom Fest in Las Vegas"
Ah, yes, debating in Las Vegas. I believe it was Descartes who recommended Las Vegas for all serious scholarly activity?
hannah at 6:38AM on Jul 7th 2008
4.
DoubleD, no surprise that you are crying. You have repeatedly painted Dawkins as a malevolent person in most of your blog pages, without allowing him equal time on your blog. You have prortrayed him as your enemy and he has reacted.
JefFlyingV at 6:48AM on Jul 7th 2008
5. There are few times when Dawkins and I are on the same page, and I must say that comparing anyone to Hitler is a bit of a reach, and an intellectual faux pas.
However, I do agree that your arrogant assumption of your own superiority based solely on the fact that you believe in something that has never been proven to have any basis in fact is just as annoying as speeches by white supremacists and other bigots.
And that is what you are, Mr. D'Souza - a bigot. You can't tolerate anyone who thinks or believes differently than you do. And because you cannot accept that we do not share your limited view of the world and/or religion, you attack and spread hate at every opportunity.
Perhaps the comparison to Hitler is out of place, but that does not change the fact that you rail against a world that refuses to march to your drummer, and it shows in every one of your whiny, self-righteous, and overly "loud" posts.
Maureen at 7:08AM on Jul 7th 2008
6. Hitler? Hitler? Let's see, the hatred and intolerance are there. The pig-headed dangerous bullshit checks out. Nahh, I still don't see it. You're a Himmler wannabe at best, maybe you could aspire to Mussolini...the jury's still out.
America's Most Gangsta at 7:21AM on Jul 7th 2008
7. Let me take this time to say again I enjoyed you on the Thom hartman show last week! Yep Thom really gave it to you good! You don't seem to think to well on your feet witha real live person to point out your rather large flaws. Hitler? no I don't think so, Hitler had brains, evil but he had brains!
cjanis at 7:41AM on Jul 7th 2008
8. DD
"Isn't the real problem that Dawkins has used his zoologist's credentials in order to wander into fields (physics, astronomy, history, phiosophy, anthropology, theology) "
Isn't this a bit of hypocrasy? Being a political propagandist and christian apologist makes you more qualified? What are your qualifications to speak on Scientific issues?
You obvously are not hitler, but how are you more qualified than dawkins to speak on science and the universe?
James at 7:41AM on Jul 7th 2008
9. Sure D'ouche, you've made a "career" here on AOL bashing this mans name, beliefs and reputation. If he feels compelled to speak out about it in a way that gets your attention (and I guess he did), I say alls fair in your world so go at it.
PS this is the way you play the game, he's beating you at your own rules.
Dennis at 7:57AM on Jul 7th 2008
10.
Wah Wahh...the nasty wittle Afeist, he cawled me names! wah wah!
This from someone who called Madeline Albright "Frankenstein"? Barack Obama supporters "Obamorons"? Made tasteless AIDS jokes?
What a God Nazi pussy. Get out of the kitchen if you can't take the heat.
Dawkins is partially wrong. You don't have the brains to be Hitler. He may have been pure evil, but he wasn't stupid. You, Mr D'Souza, however, are an idiot. An evil idiot, which may actually be worse.
T.Brough at 8:11AM on Jul 7th 2008
11. Now the maids' brother has hurt feelings 'cause the man he bad mouths has bad mouthed him....doesn't seem to be a big deal until some one does it to you. No tears Dinesh, just some karma coming around to bite your a**
emanon at 8:19AM on Jul 7th 2008
12. DD; "Hitler didn't like strawberry ice cream. My opponent is just like Hitler." Strauss's point was that the reductio ad Hitlerum is the mark of the lazy and illogical mind."
Seems to me that this is exactly what DD does in almost every debate that I have seen. He always brings up Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin. They were atheists and so are you, so you must like strawberries too. DD is calling himself intellectually lazy.
a born atheist at 8:32AM on Jul 7th 2008
13. I just keep wondering where in the hell did AOL dig up this clown Denise. When God said, "Come forth with brains, poor DD came fifth."
gshort3011 at 8:40AM on Jul 7th 2008
14. DD must really be out of material, as Dawkins made these comments in May.
Ryan Anderson at 8:45AM on Jul 7th 2008
15. Oh, good grief, DD. Stop whining because someone ripped off your own "special" (AKA: the typical pre-law student who is stuck on using fallacies) brand of logic.
Do you honestly NOT see how much sense Hitchens made? I have heard before that turnabout is fair play. I have also heard to not put crap in writing unless you want to be wiping it off your shoes ad nauseum.
web jones at 8:46AM on Jul 7th 2008