Carl was an astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author and science communicator. He had a robustly naturalistic worldview. He said: “I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But as much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking.”
He counselled against anthropocentrism (centring too strongly on the human species). He called on humans “to extend our ethical perspectives downward through the taxa on Earth and upwards to extraterrestrial organisms, if they exist.”However, he was not vegan or even vegetarian, implying that, in practical terms, he didn’t extend meaningful moral consideration to sentient farmed animals.
Article: “Sciences vast cosmic perspective eludes religion”
Carl on Wikipedia
Carl Sagan
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does anyone else see the complete misery in his comment? [quoted below] furthermore, of course there is an afterlife, and of course it is not scientifically observable. it is in another dimension sillyhead. “I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But as much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking.” oh mr. sagan you were constrained by the bondage of what your peers would have thought of you for thinking such nonsense.
His daughter explains:
“He considered his answer carefully. Finally, he said that there was nothing he would like more in the world than to see his mother and father again, but that he had no reason — and no evidence — to support the idea of an afterlife, so he couldn’t give in to the temptation.
‘Why?’
Then he told me, very tenderly, that it can be dangerous to believe things just because you want them to be true. You can get tricked if you don’t question yourself and others, especially people in a position of authority. He told me that anything that’s truly real can stand up to scrutiny.”
https://www.thecut.com/2014/04/my-dad-and-the-cosmos.html
No dought there is always that question
Who or how was The Universe created
But
Why must there be a beginning or an end? S happens!!!!
Faith is faith
Belief in what can not be proved!!!
Faith is a personal view, Science is backed by facts.
mike…
religion is for children afraid of the dark
AND elderly afraid of death
It is disappointing that he wasn’t vegan (or even vegetarian) but he was very admirable despite it. I hope people will click on the vegan/vegetarian link you’ve included in the text but in case not I think it’s important to note that he (and his wife) did note:
“Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain. A sharp distinction between humans and ‘animals’ is essential if we are to bend them to our will, make them work for us, wear them, eat them — without any disquieting tinges of guilt or regret. It is unseemly of us, who often behave so unfeelingly toward other animals, to contend that only humans can suffer. The behavior of other animals renders such pretensions specious. They are just too much like us.”
“Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors,” 1992 (co-written with his wife, Ann Druyan)