Richard Dawkins tweets: 'Date rape is bad, stranger rape is worse'
The writer was using examples to illustrate logical syllogisms
Richard Dawkins has said "date rape is bad" and "stranger rape at knifepoint is worse" and contrasted "mild" paedophilia with "violent" paedophilia on Twitter.
The writer, known for his atheism and books including The God Delusion, emphasised he was not approving anything but giving examples of a "syllogism" - logical argument where the comparisons do not imply any endorsement of either.
After starting the discussion using X and Y, he went on to other examples.
He wrote: "Mild paedophilia is bad. Violent paedophilia is worse. If you think that's an endorsement of mild paedophilia, go away and learn how to think."
Dawkins then went on to "date rape" versus "stranger rape".
"Date rape is bad. Stranger rape at knifepoint is worse. If you think that's an endorsement of date rape, go away and learn how to think," one tweet said.
Date rape is bad. Stranger rape at knifepoint is worse. If you think that's an endorsement of date rape, go away and learn how to think.
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) July 29, 2014His 17,900 followers were quick to respond, with some approving the logical argument but others being less impressed.
One person told the evolutionary biologist to "go away and learn compassion" while another sarcastically suggested he could "make a list ranking types of rape from worst to least worst".
Dawkins parodied harsh responses by later tweeting: "'Stealing £1 is bad. Stealing an old lady's life savings is worse.' How DARE you rank them? Stealing is stealing. You're vile, appalling."
He finished Monday’s discussion by saying he learned that people on Twitter "think in absolutist terms".
Read more: Date rape is bad, stranger rape is worse, says Dawkins
Dawkins' Bin Laden comment sparks hilarious Twitter hashtag
Muslim Nobel Prize jibe sparks Twitter backlash
Richard Dawkins on fairy tales
Richard Dawkins is wrong to suggest that there can be varying degrees of severity involved in rape
- 1 Australia's beleaguered Abbott endures one final nightmare before Christmas
- 2 Forget everything you know about nice, liberal Sweden — that country no longer exists
- 3 A long list of sex acts just got banned in UK porn
- 4 North Korea accuses US of spreading Ebola and choosing Africa as a bio-weapon testing ground
- 5 A bottle of wine a day is not bad for you and abstaining is worse than drinking, scientist claims
-
Gauhar Khan slapped: 'Traditional Indian clothes were far skimpier than actress' dress'
-
UK weather: Snow, hail, and sleet expected as Met Office extends weather warnings
-
Five-year-old boy found dead at home after 'sickening and violent' attack
-
Australia's beleaguered Abbott endures one final nightmare before Christmas
-
Porn regulation in the UK: It’s not as if we’re hurting anyone (else), say adult performers and producers
-
Forget everything you know about nice, liberal Sweden — that country no longer exists
-
Gauhar Khan slapped live on air by man from the audience for wearing revealing clothes
-
'Poor' Nigel Farage finds it hard to get by on £109,000 a year plus expenses
-
A long list of sex acts just got banned in UK porn
-
Top Gear wanted to set fire to Clarkson's Porsche to make escape from Argentina more 'dramatic'
-
Ukip leader Nigel Farage clashes with audience members as he tries to engage with young voters
WIN a trip for two to Cuba
Follow Simon Calder's journey in Cuba, and enter our competition to win a trip for two to Cuba
Caribbean luxury at its finest
Barbados offers a new slice of holiday heaven at Port Ferdnand and Saint Peter's Bay Luxury Resorts
Rainbow list 2014: The LBGT people who make a real difference
Introducing our annual celebration of the lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender people who make a real difference
i100: Who makes your world a better place?
Tweet us the people who deserve some recognition to @thei100 with the hashtag #everydayhero and tell us why.
2014 WISE Summit
For the past four years, Qatar Foundation has been awarding an international prize for education each year, the first award of its kind in the world. Find out more...
Build yourself a brighter future
Chartered surveyors will be critical to shaping our new world
i100 Quiz: How much do you know about time?
True or False: Sloths sleep more than all other animals...
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Independent Dating
iJobs People
h2 Recruit Ltd: Business Development Manager - HR Consultancy - £65,000 OTE
£35000 - £40000 per annum + £65,000 OTE: h2 Recruit Ltd: London, Birmingham, M...
Day In a Page
Homeless Veterans appeal
Building a British naval base in Bahrain is a 'symbolic choice' – for no clear reason
Smart farmers call in the gleaners
Stephen Hawking right about dangers of AI...
The 12 food trends of Christmas













