Philosophy
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 at the collective level during the infancy of a civilization. But just like children grow up and become disabused of their former ego-centrism, civilizations also have to grow up and give up childish fantasies about holding some special place in the grand scheme of things. The upshot is that instead of being surrounded by the universe, we actually get to be a part of it :)
And if you feel some Carl Sagan nostalgia on this chilly and rainy morning, knock yourself out with these entries.
- 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...
- Self-destructive The Human Race Is
October 24, 2005 Book VII The Cave Can we ever know the difference between what is true and the image of what we perceive to be true? The truth is never something that we can grasp without effort; otherwise, it wouldn?t be the truth because in reality...
- 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...
- Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot
Carl Sagan would have turned 75 yesterday. I can't help but wonder what the state of the world and our general attitude toward science would be today without his courageous quest to popularize science and inspire skepticism, critical thinking and...
- Fred Hoyle--cosmologist
Fred Hoyle was one of those pre-Carl Sagan individuals that attempted to bridge the gap between science and the general population, proposed an explanation for the origin of elements heavier than hydrogen ["nucleosynthesis"], and offered the cosmological...
Philosophy
The Center of All Things
What naturally happens during the development of an individual in infancy, absolute ego-centrism, is mirrored at the collective level during the infancy of a civilization. But just like children grow up and become disabused of their former ego-centrism, civilizations also have to grow up and give up childish fantasies about holding some special place in the grand scheme of things. The upshot is that instead of being surrounded by the universe, we actually get to be a part of it :)
And if you feel some Carl Sagan nostalgia on this chilly and rainy morning, knock yourself out with these entries.
- 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...
- Self-destructive The Human Race Is
October 24, 2005 Book VII The Cave Can we ever know the difference between what is true and the image of what we perceive to be true? The truth is never something that we can grasp without effort; otherwise, it wouldn?t be the truth because in reality...
- 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...
- Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot
Carl Sagan would have turned 75 yesterday. I can't help but wonder what the state of the world and our general attitude toward science would be today without his courageous quest to popularize science and inspire skepticism, critical thinking and...
- Fred Hoyle--cosmologist
Fred Hoyle was one of those pre-Carl Sagan individuals that attempted to bridge the gap between science and the general population, proposed an explanation for the origin of elements heavier than hydrogen ["nucleosynthesis"], and offered the cosmological...