His Darwin's Dangerous Idea came out in 1995 and it is only now that Stephen Jay Gould decided to respond to Professor Dennett's criticism of his shifting stance on evolutionary theory, heating up the debate and making the controversy unpleasant by mud-slinging in the media. Thanks to John Catalano of the Dawkins Page fame for the following links:
Feud for Thought--An article in the Guardian, UK:
Darwinian Fundamentalism: Stephen Jay Gould's first diatribe in the NYRB
The Pleasures of Pluralism: Stephen Jay Gould's second long ad-hominem attack on Dennett
Gould, this time one thought had outdone himself. So I wrote to Professor Dennett offering some, um, bitchy, or --to be more politically correct--doggie, doggerel to counter Gould's spiteful "Dawkins'
lap-dog" comment:
"O. how I wish I were a doggie
And Stephie Gould a tree!"
Professor Dennett would ofcourse not stoop so low even now and was gracious enough to provide a copy of his dignified yet deadly communication to NYRB in response to the above articles. Click here for that. One should ofcourse note that while Gould took two years or so to respond, Dennett's response is almost instantaneous!