Comments on: Pale, Blue Dot http://breathlessnoon.com/2007/01/08/pale-blue-dot/ Religion, Philosophy, Life Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:58:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Amber Simmons http://breathlessnoon.com/2007/01/08/pale-blue-dot/#comment-3557 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:12:24 +0000 http://breathlessnoon.com/2007/01/08/pale-blue-dot/#comment-3557 Awesome, thanks for the recommendation, Quentin. I'm always looking for something to read :) Awesome, thanks for the recommendation, Quentin. I’m always looking for something to read :)

]]> by: Quentin http://breathlessnoon.com/2007/01/08/pale-blue-dot/#comment-3556 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:55:53 +0000 http://breathlessnoon.com/2007/01/08/pale-blue-dot/#comment-3556 By the way, I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but Richard Tarnas deals with the themes of cosmic insignificance vs a meaningful cosmos in his book <i>Cosmos and Psyche</i>. The book is based on his research into astrology. I'm not entirely unsympathetic to things astrological, although I realise this can be a bit of an obstacle for some. The book's a little repetitive in its presentation of the evidence of his research - mainly in showing the influence of planetary aspects in history - but the summing up sections are very interesting. By the way, I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this before, but Richard Tarnas deals with the themes of cosmic insignificance vs a meaningful cosmos in his book Cosmos and Psyche. The book is based on his research into astrology. I’m not entirely unsympathetic to things astrological, although I realise this can be a bit of an obstacle for some. The book’s a little repetitive in its presentation of the evidence of his research - mainly in showing the influence of planetary aspects in history - but the summing up sections are very interesting.

]]> by: Quentin http://breathlessnoon.com/2007/01/08/pale-blue-dot/#comment-3555 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:51:43 +0000 http://breathlessnoon.com/2007/01/08/pale-blue-dot/#comment-3555 I've had similar feelings myself - I mean the sense of cosmic insignificance turning back to the sense of occupying a cosmic centre. I have sympathy with what Carl Sagan is saying about the vanity of ambition, which has been stated in other ways, for instance, in Buddhist tradition, and so forth, but when he couches it in terms of the meaninglessness of all things, the result can be counterproductive, I think. The philosophy behind many of the tyrants and schemers that he mentioned could easily have been that, since life is so insignificant, it doesn't matter how much blood is spilt, as long as I get what I want. In the end, we are human, and though I think it is important sometimes to try and understand the boundaries of human existence, and, if such a thing is possible, to look at ourselves from outside, ultimately we cannot escape our own humanity and must live within it. I’ve had similar feelings myself - I mean the sense of cosmic insignificance turning back to the sense of occupying a cosmic centre. I have sympathy with what Carl Sagan is saying about the vanity of ambition, which has been stated in other ways, for instance, in Buddhist tradition, and so forth, but when he couches it in terms of the meaninglessness of all things, the result can be counterproductive, I think. The philosophy behind many of the tyrants and schemers that he mentioned could easily have been that, since life is so insignificant, it doesn’t matter how much blood is spilt, as long as I get what I want.

In the end, we are human, and though I think it is important sometimes to try and understand the boundaries of human existence, and, if such a thing is possible, to look at ourselves from outside, ultimately we cannot escape our own humanity and must live within it.

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