Philosophy
If we are seriously devoted to the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom, our search for truth must be a courageous enterprise indeed.
Soteriological concerns, pressing on the human condition as they might be, cannot be the basis or the criterion upon which we embark on this journey, for we have no reason to suppose that the truth has any concern for our welfare: there is no logical connection between what is real and what we would rather be real. If the universe has any concern for us, let that be a discovery we make in time, and not an assumption that filters our research from the start.
As the late Carl Sagan explains in the following clip, it is the sign of a maturing individual or a maturing society to overcome its childish egocentrism and its proclivity for anthropomorphism, and to accept to see reality for what it is rather than for what one would like it to be.
Douglas Adams had something similar to say, but with a bit more humor :)
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- Remembering Sagan
Joel over at Joel's Humanistic Blog has organized a blog-a-thon to honor the tenth anniversary of the passing of Carl Sagan and I wanted pay my respects to that wonderful advocate for science. It is hard to believe that it is ten years. Like so many...
- The Center Of All Things
Historically, it is perfectly understandable why our ancestors believed that we were the center of the universe: it really looks like we are! What naturally happens during the development of an individual in infancy, absolute ego-centrism, is mirrored...
- We're Not Home, E.t. Please Leave A Message...
Are we alone in the universe? I have no clue. My guess is that we probably aren't, but the odds of ever finding other forms of intelligent life are so small that one may wonder why we have SETI in the first place. This is one of those strange cases...
- Cosmos: Travels In Space And Time
Continuing his exploration of the Cosmos, Carl Sagan takes us today on an exploration of interstellar and time travel, the likes of which no human being has ever actually experienced so far. In order to explain this idea, and after giving a quick lesson...
- "mankind's Uniqueness" Poll
Well, the poll results were expected: 17 [68%] hold the position that mankind is not the only intelligent life form in the universe, 7 [28%] voted that mankind will never know, and 3 [12%] believe that mankind is unique being the only intelligent life...
Philosophy
Carl Sagan - A Universe Not Made for Us
If we are seriously devoted to the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom, our search for truth must be a courageous enterprise indeed.Soteriological concerns, pressing on the human condition as they might be, cannot be the basis or the criterion upon which we embark on this journey, for we have no reason to suppose that the truth has any concern for our welfare: there is no logical connection between what is real and what we would rather be real. If the universe has any concern for us, let that be a discovery we make in time, and not an assumption that filters our research from the start.
As the late Carl Sagan explains in the following clip, it is the sign of a maturing individual or a maturing society to overcome its childish egocentrism and its proclivity for anthropomorphism, and to accept to see reality for what it is rather than for what one would like it to be.
Douglas Adams had something similar to say, but with a bit more humor :)
.
- Remembering Sagan
Joel over at Joel's Humanistic Blog has organized a blog-a-thon to honor the tenth anniversary of the passing of Carl Sagan and I wanted pay my respects to that wonderful advocate for science. It is hard to believe that it is ten years. Like so many...
- The Center Of All Things
Historically, it is perfectly understandable why our ancestors believed that we were the center of the universe: it really looks like we are! What naturally happens during the development of an individual in infancy, absolute ego-centrism, is mirrored...
- We're Not Home, E.t. Please Leave A Message...
Are we alone in the universe? I have no clue. My guess is that we probably aren't, but the odds of ever finding other forms of intelligent life are so small that one may wonder why we have SETI in the first place. This is one of those strange cases...
- Cosmos: Travels In Space And Time
Continuing his exploration of the Cosmos, Carl Sagan takes us today on an exploration of interstellar and time travel, the likes of which no human being has ever actually experienced so far. In order to explain this idea, and after giving a quick lesson...
- "mankind's Uniqueness" Poll
Well, the poll results were expected: 17 [68%] hold the position that mankind is not the only intelligent life form in the universe, 7 [28%] voted that mankind will never know, and 3 [12%] believe that mankind is unique being the only intelligent life...