Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL, is a renowned British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and popular science author. He has made significant contributions to the scientific community, both through his academic roles and his extensive body of written work.

Dawkins first gained prominence with the publication of his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which brought the gene-centred view of evolution to the forefront and coined the term meme. His follow-up work, The Extended Phenotype (1982), proposed that a gene's influence could extend beyond an organism, affecting the environment and other beings. This concept further solidified his impact on evolutionary biology.

Notably, Dawkins has been a vocal critic of creationism and intelligent design. In The Blind Watchmaker (1986), he argued against the watchmaker analogy used to suggest the existence of a creator, presenting evolution as an unguided process resembling a 'blind watchmaker'. His atheistic views were further expanded in The God Delusion (2006), where Dawkins contended that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist, and that religious faith is a delusion.

Aside from his literary achievements, Dawkins founded the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science in 2006, aiming to promote scientific literacy and secularism. Through his foundation, he emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, science as a cornerstone of human achievement, and the challenges posed by religious extremism to both science and personal freedoms.

Dawkins' work has not only influenced the field of evolutionary biology but has also sparked discussions on religion, science, and secularism, making him a prominent figure in public debates on these subjects.