---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that [Jay] Gould's separate…"
description: "\"I think that [Jay] Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp. But it's a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/richard-dawkins-115_camps_i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compar_359975.jpg"
---

#  I think that \[Jay\] Gould's separate compartments was a…

![“I think that &#91;Jay&#93; Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp. But it's a very empty idea. There are plenty of places where religion does not keep off the scientific turf.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/richard-dawkins-115_camps_i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compar_359975.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/richard-dawkins-115_camps_i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compar_359975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/richard-dawkins-115_camps_i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compar_359975.jpg)

> “I think that \[Jay\] Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp. But it's a very empty idea. There are plenty of places where religion does not keep off the scientific turf.”

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Dawkins argues that Gould’s concept of non‑overlapping magisteria was a political strategy to attract moderate religious individuals, but he sees it as an empty notion because religion often engages with science.

**In simple terms:** Gould’s idea is seen as a political move, yet religion still interacts with science.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that religious and scientific dialogues can coexist without artificial separation.

Themes

science religion public discourse politics philosophy

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- education policy
- interfaith dialogues
- science communication
- public debates

Key Concepts

non‑overlapping magisteria secularism conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we foster genuine dialogue between science and religion?
- What are the risks of framing scientific discourse as political?

A Different Perspective

The model may oversimplify complex historical interactions between faith and science.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Jay gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jay-gould/) [Middle of the road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-of-the-road/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Ploy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ploy/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-people/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/)

## Related quotes

> [ \[Jay\] Gould sets up an artificial wall between the two worldviews that doesn't exist in my life. Because I do believe in God's creative… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/jay-gould-sets-up-an-artificial-wall-between-the-two-worldviews-that-2/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [ \[Jay\] Gould sets up an artificial wall between the two worldviews that doesn't exist in my life. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/jay-gould-sets-up-an-artificial-wall-between-the-two-worldviews-that/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [Al Gore seems to have found a great political ploy: Picking up whatever issue he is most vulnerable on and championing the cause. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-olson/al-gore-seems-to-have-found-a-great-political-ploy-picking-up/)

[Barbara Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-olson/)

> [It is clear that the photo ID requirement is not a solution to a problem but is instead a political ploy to prevent traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-veasey/it-is-clear-that-the-photo-id-requirement-is-not-a-solution-to-a/)

[Marc Veasey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-veasey/)

> [What's not OK is using government policy and taxpayer dollars to push for an investigation if the motivation is purely political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/what-s-not-ok-is-using-government-policy-and-taxpayer-dollars-to-push/)

[Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/)

> [I have always been of opinion that all the political workers should be indifferent and should never bother about the legal fight in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-singh/i-have-always-been-of-opinion-that-all-the-political-workers-should/)

[Bhagat Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagat-singh/)

> [The shortcoming of purely political discourse between Christians and Jews arises from the fact that it is largely built upon the perception of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-novak/the-shortcoming-of-purely-political-discourse-between-christians-and/)

[David Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-novak/)

> [We are hammered 24/7 with the "far left" and "far right" points of view, pounding us, beating us upside the head with purely political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mcdonald/we-are-hammered-24-7-with-the-far-left-and-far-right-points-of-view/)

Bruce McDonald

> [Constrained optimization is the art of compromise between conflicting objectives. This is what design is all about. To find fault with biological design -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/constrained-optimization-is-the-art-of-compromise-between-conflicting/)

[William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/)

> [“One of the major reasons for the failure of Fink and the trunk cartels was the truly heroic activities of one of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/one-of-the-major-reasons-for-the-failure-of-fink-and-the-trunk/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [It's a real enigma why people are so averse to real free market capitalism even now. Here we are, in the century that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/it-s-a-real-enigma-why-people-are-so-averse-to-real-free-market/)

[Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/)

> [“We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry, openmindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/we-may-differ-on-many-things-but-what-we-respect-is-free-inquiry/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [“For Dawkins, atheism is a necessary consequence of evolution. He has argued that the religious impulse is simply an evolutionary mistake, a ‘misfiring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/for-dawkins-atheism-is-a-necessary-consequence-of-evolution-he-has/)

[Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/)

> [“There is an increasing (and disturbing) tendency of psychologists, biologists, and philosophers to Darwinize every aspect of human behavior, turning its study into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/there-is-an-increasing-and-disturbing-tendency-of-psychologists/)

[Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/)

> [I do not believe that since man was in the habit of living on this planet anyone has ever lived possessed of the impudence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-gould/i-do-not-believe-that-since-man-was-in-the-habit-of-living-on-this/)

[Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-gould/)

## More by Richard Dawkins

> [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

[Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

## More Camps quotes

> [Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/humanitarian-goods-and-people-must-flow-in-both-directions-gaza/)

[David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [In high school, I was performing "forensics." You take a section of a play and portray all the characters. I even went to camp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-silverman/in-high-school-i-was-performing-forensics-you-take-a-section-of-a/)

[Allison Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-silverman/)

> [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's often frustrating when you're a war reporter and you're covering these places that far away. You're frustrated by making stories that people can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-rowley/it-s-often-frustrating-when-you-re-a-war-reporter-and-you-re-covering/)

[Rick Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-rowley/)

> [A man in a cave or in a camp, a nomad, will die with no more estate than the wolf or the horse leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-in-a-cave-or-in-a-camp-a-nomad-will-die-with-no-more-estate/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [The troops were occasionally occupied in pursuing scattered bands going north or south, and on three occasions the large camp of Sitting Bull ventured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-a-miles/the-troops-were-occasionally-occupied-in-pursuing-scattered-bands/)

[Nelson A. Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-a-miles/)

> [I try to leave my work at the door when I leave the set. It's almost like summer camp. You go in hard, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-try-to-leave-my-work-at-the-door-when-i-leave-the-set-it-s-almost/)

[Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/)

> [When I was seventeen, I worked as a counsellor at a co-ed sleep-away camp for eight weeks. I loved it but it could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/when-i-was-seventeen-i-worked-as-a-counsellor-at-a-co-ed-sleep-away/)

[Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/)

> [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/)

[Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/)

> [If writing with a goal - whether it be evangelistic, apologetic, or didactic - implies propaganda, then all recorded history is propaganda. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/if-writing-with-a-goal-whether-it-be-evangelistic-apologetic-or/)

[Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/)

> [ \[10 Things I Hate About You\] was the most fun I ever had making a movie. Everyone got along really, really well from day… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krumholtz/10-things-i-hate-about-you-was-the-most-fun-i-ever-had-making-a-movie/)

[David Krumholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krumholtz/)

> [I can see that I imagine all kinds of rejection that never happens. I can see that I beg and plead for love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-can-see-that-i-imagine-all-kinds-of-rejection-that-never-happens-i/)

[Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/)

> [I admire the Elsie Tanners and Barbara Windsors of the world: people who have crawled back from the abyss. I'm quite camp in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-eclair/i-admire-the-elsie-tanners-and-barbara-windsors-of-the-world-people/)

[Jenny Eclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-eclair/)

> [Wouldn't that be funny, if the oil rebels were playing U2 in their jungle camps, and the government soldiers were playing U2 in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/wouldn-t-that-be-funny-if-the-oil-rebels-were-playing-u2-in-their/)

[Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/)

Browse all 918 Camps quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think that [Jay] Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp. But it's a very empty idea. There are plenty of places where religion does not keep off the scientific turf.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Dawkins"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compartments-was-a-purely-political/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Camps"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compartments-was-a-purely-political/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/richard-dawkins-115_camps_i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compar_359975.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/richard-dawkins-115_camps_i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compar_359975.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/richard-dawkins-115_camps_i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compar_359975.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think that [Jay] Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road…” — Richard Dawkins",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Richard Dawkins",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think that [Jay] Gould's separate...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compartments-was-a-purely-political/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compartments-was-a-purely-political/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
