By DANIEL TAMARIT
Added: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:00:00 UTC

March 31, 2009
The University of Valencia (Spain) has honored Richard Dawkins by appointing him Doctor Honoris Causa, the highest honorary degree, last March 31st. The University of Valencia, the only University in the world that celebrated the first centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 1909, has a great group of activities related to popularize Darwin and evolutionism. This award to Richard Dawkins, 100 years later, is perfectly located in the year 2009.

This outstanding event shows the support of one of the most important Universities in Spain not only to the work of Richard Dawkins, but also to evolutionary biology, science, free-thinking and rationalism.

The act was simple, calm and solemn. It took place in a historic building at the center of the city with the presence of 300 people and 30 students of biology, approximately. The laudatio was read by the professor Enrique Font, who spoke about the importance of Dawkins' works. It was definitely touching and the audience could really enjoy the ceremony. The best men were the professors Andrés Moya and Juli Peretó, and the rector of the University, Tomás Vert, led the investiture.

At the end of the act, Richard Dawkins made a beautiful speech. He first talked about science: maybe science cannot explain everything, but the things that cannot be explained by science, they won't be ever explained. Then, he spoke about relativism: some say science is not a privileged way to the truth, but the product of a social culture, white, male and occidental. If this were this way, we could also tell that Don Quixote is not better than a television series. Finally, he talked about the social prejudice that claims that science makes us less witty when talking or writing, and worse speakers.

Thus, the ceremony was beautiful, cheerful, and full of meaning. Science and reason have a great support in Europe, and this act in Spain is a good example of this. Moreover, it is even more appropriate to give an honorary degree to Richard Dawkins in 2009, after 200 years of the birth of Charles Darwin and 150 years after his Origin of Species.

Daniel Tamarit

Dawkins' Lectio, part 1


Dawkins' Lectio, part 2


Part of the act

TAGGED: ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVOLUTION, RICHARD DAWKINS