I think it's just a rhetorical device that, had Dawkins thought a bit longer, he...

		lutusp on Sept 1, 2014 \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Richard Dawkins' response to “What scientific idea... I think it's just a rhetorical device that, had Dawkins thought a bit longer, he would have avoided in that specific context. Or it's meant ironically as others have suggested.