The Developmental Narrative and Space as Salvation in the Works of Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan frames humanity’s future in space as a secular narrative of salvation. He aligns technical advancement with ethical growth. He presents an evolutionary epic, with humans growing up and going up to the stars, identifying space travel with species adulthood. His works Cosmos, Broca’s Brain,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zygon
Main Author: Mix, Lucas John
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Open Library of Humanities 10.07.2025
Subjects:
Habitability for Your Cosmic Future: AstroAnthropology Meets AstroEthics
development
astrobiology
space exploration
teleology
progress
evolution
scientism
ISSN:1467-9744, 1467-9744
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Carl Sagan frames humanity’s future in space as a secular narrative of salvation. He aligns technical advancement with ethical growth. He presents an evolutionary epic, with humans growing up and going up to the stars, identifying space travel with species adulthood. His works Cosmos, Broca’s Brain, and Pale Blue Dot develop this theme to promote space travel and foster hope for the future. The biological terms, however, reflect outdated science, particularly theories of progressive evolution, deemed both unproductive and ethically problematic by biologists. The narrative owes more to a mythology of progress than to biology as science. Viewing it through the lens of religion helps reveal its contours and effects, allowing both proponents and opponents to understand it better. In that light, alternative metaphors, such as space travel as pilgrimage, may better serve Sagan’s aspiration of scientifically motivated beliefs.
ISSN:1467-9744
1467-9744
DOI:10.16995/zygon.18604