Carl Sagan died on December 20th, 1996. So on his death anniversary, here are clips from his last interview (also see last year's posting, God and Carl Sagan).
Given that your blog looks at science and religion you may be aware of Sagan's quote that '...the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world."
Sagan's worldview was significantly influenced by the spiritual and emotional-rational insights he gained from marijuana use. As a prophet of the impact of technology-science on the social world he is in my view unsurpassed. People like Jaron Lanier, Clay Shirky, with systems views of the world still have not dug as deep as Sagan into the way human nature orients to the world that we are creating.
Demon Haunted World was a wake-up call which will probably continue to pass under the radar as civilisation plunges into the rabbit hole of deepening crises in the years ahead. Human emotion and religion that carry us through day to day in an increasingly technological controlled world are not enough. Sagan wanted us to understand that a synthesis of spirituality, knowledge, and emotional human togetherness can be achieved, and need to be achieved, if we are to transcend the 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors'
Thanks for posting this! I had not seen this interview and I'm glad you exposed me to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! You can also find a full collection of posts on Sagan's death anniversary here:
ReplyDeletehttp://joelschlosberg.blogspot.com/
Given that your blog looks at science and religion you may be aware of Sagan's quote that '...the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world."
ReplyDeleteSagan's worldview was significantly influenced by the spiritual and emotional-rational insights he gained from marijuana use. As a prophet of the impact of technology-science on the social world he is in my view unsurpassed. People like Jaron Lanier, Clay Shirky, with systems views of the world still have not dug as deep as Sagan into the way human nature orients to the world that we are creating.
Demon Haunted World was a wake-up call which will probably continue to pass under the radar as civilisation plunges into the rabbit hole of deepening crises in the years ahead. Human emotion and religion that carry us through day to day in an increasingly technological controlled world are not enough. Sagan wanted us to understand that a synthesis of spirituality, knowledge, and emotional human togetherness can be achieved, and need to be achieved, if we are to transcend the 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors'
Thank you for posting his last interview.