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Critical Issues in the History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Astrobiology

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Space, Time, and Aliens

Abstract

50 years after serious scientific research began in the field of exobiology, and 40 years after serious historical research began on the subject of extraterrestrial life, this paper identifies and examines some of the most important issues in the history, philosophy, and sociology of what is today known as astrobiology. As in the philosophy of science in general, and in the philosophies of particular sciences, critical issues in the philosophy and sociology of astrobiology are both stimulated and illuminated by history. Among those issues are (1) epistemological issues such as the status of astrobiology as a science, the problematic nature of evidence and inference, and the limits of science; (2) metaphysical/scientific issues including the question of defining the fundamental concepts of life, mind, intelligence, and culture in a universal context; the role of contingency and necessity in the origin of these fundamental phenomena; and whether or not the universe is in some sense fine-tuned for life and perhaps biocentric; (3) societal issues such as the theological, ethical, and worldview impacts of the discovery of microbial or intelligent life; and the question of whether the search for extraterrestrial life should be pursued at all, and with what precautions; and (4) issues related to the sociology of scientific knowledge, including the diverse attitudes and assumptions of different scientific communities and different cultures to the problem of life beyond Earth, the public “will to believe,” and the formation of the discipline of astrobiology. All these overlapping issues are framed by the concept of cosmic evolution—the 13.7-billion-year Master Narrative of the Universe—which may result in a physical, biological, or postbiological universe and determine the long-term destiny of humanity.

First published in Astrobiology, 12, (2012), 906–927

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Acknowledgments

This article is dedicated to the memory of Baruch Blumberg, founding Director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute and an inspiration for the breadth and depth of his thinking. I wish to thank Michael Crowe, Gregory Dick, Iris Fry, and Clément Vidal for comments, as well as David Dunér and the organizers of the conference “The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology,” held on Tycho Brahe’s island of Hven in September, 2011.

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Dick, S.J. (2020). Critical Issues in the History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Astrobiology. In: Space, Time, and Aliens. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41614-0_38

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