The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God

Science's esteemed friend Carl Sagan died prematurely in 1996. What a pleasure it is to read more of his crystal clear prose. In these transcripts of his 1985 Gifford Lectures on Natural Theology at the University of Glasgow, he gives us his rich insights on the relationship between science and religion. William James had a turn in the early 20th century and turned his lectures into the acclaimed "Varieties of Religious Experiences." "Varieties of Scientific Experiences" is edited by Sagan's widow and collaborator Ann Druyan and she acknowledges his admiration for James in the title of this book.Starting with cosmology, Sagan leads us through a naturalistic view of the universe - meaning except for the most extreme liberal interpretation of God, He is not part of the equation. But the believer who desires the bigger picture should not be scared off - this eloquent book is more considerate and gentle than the recent books on religion by Dawkins, Harris, and Dennett. As usual with Sagan, it is also a treatise on why we should view our world with a scientific, rational mind-set. Sagan's bottom line was always: "Show me the evidence." In an interview, Sagan was once pressed by a reporter for a premature conclusion. When asked, "But what's your gut feeling," Sagan replied, "I try not to think with my gut."I spent a whole day being stimulated and intrigued by this book and there is not a dull page. An 11th century Hindu logician presented the following proofs for the Hindu "all-knowing and imperishable but not necessarily omnipotent and compassionate God":1. First cause - sounds familiar2. Argument from atomic combinations - bonding of atoms requires a conscious agent3. Argument from suspension of the world - somebody has to be holding it up4. Argument from the existence of human skills5. Existence of authoritative knowledge - Vedas, the Hindu holy booksSagan compares them to the Western arguments:1. First cause - otherwise known as the cosmological argument.2. Argument from design3. Moral argument - attributed to Kant4. Ontological argument - Man is imperfect, there must be something greater that is perfect, therefore God exists5. Argument from consciousness - I have self-awareness, therefore God exists6. Argument from religious experiencesSagan briefly discusses each item on these somewhat similar lists, ending with, "I must say that the net result is not very impressive. It is very much as if we are seeking a rational justification for something that we otherwise hope will be true." About the moral argument, he says, "It does not follow if we are powerfully motivated to take care of our young or the young of everybody on the planet, that God made us do it. Natural selection can make us do it, and almost surely has."After each of the nine lectures, Sagan took selected written questions from the audience - most of them from believers and one of them signed by God Almighty himself. He answered them all with wit, grace, and poise and this 37 page segment is not to be missed - the whole book is not to be missed and gets my highest recommendation. Whether or not you've previously read Carl Sagan, you're in for a treat.

According to Wikipedia, the Gifford Lectures were established on 1887 to "promote and diffuse the study of Natural Theology (supported by science and not dependent on the miraculous) in the widest sense of the term -- in other words, the knowledge of God."The lectures are given at several Scottish universities and a Gifford lectures' appointment is one of the most prestigious honors in Scottish academia. They are normally presented as a series over an academic year and given with the intent that the edited content be published in book form. A number of these works have become classics in the fields of theology or philosophy and their relationship to science.On 1985 the University of Glasgow invited one of my heroes: Professor Carl Sagan, to give these lectures. Carl Sagan succumbed to cancer on 1996 and never published the corresponding book. However, his wife, Ann Druyan, found the transcripts and published them as: "The Varieties of Scientific Experience" on 2006, which I just finished reading a couple of days ago.I have always been a devote of the critic and secular thinking, and in consequence have read as much as I have been able to on the subject. Most of the different perspectives I have stumbled upon, however, are not ideas themselves, but attacks (smart, irrefutable, creative, admirable attacks) to a specific or general religious concept, tradition or congregation. One recent example is the book "God is not Great" by Stephen Hitchens. Brilliant, revealing and widely applauded, but also very violent.This book is different. This book is not an attack to the sacred... it conveys an idea of its own. Not a reaction, but a proposal. A mental and spiritual exercise on these aloof (yet critical) subjects. A wise, respectful and patient discourse of theology based on science, history and a profound knowledge of the religions of the world.I guarantee this book does not contain practical solutions to your daily problems, nor will it help you make better business decisions or fix your personal life. It will merely give you a pause to think of the things we never think about, and a different perspective on what is important.By far, my favorite on this subject!

The first Carl Sagan book I ever read was "Demon Haunted World," when I was about 23 years old. Not having been raised religious, I always wondered if I was missing out on something... I felt that perhaps I was not "in on" the truth that those Christians around me seemed so certain of knowing. In my heart, however, I always seemed to feel that religious teachings and arguments just didn't sound truthful. I was, and still am, open to evidence that a god or supreme creator exists, yet I haven't found compelling evidence that can't be described in natural ways congruent with reality. But after reading "Demon Haunted World" I finally read arguments that seemed to express the same conclusions I had come to, but didn't posess the words to express those ideas. So after reading "Demon Haunted World" I started to grow more and more comfortable with identifying with the atheist perspective.Since reading "Demon Haunted World" I have been a big fan of Carl Sagan's and was very happy to see this new book come out ten years after his death. I read this book over the course of just a couple of days and I really, really enjoyed it. Carl had a real humanity about him. Isaac Asimov said he was one of two people he had ever met that was smarter than him, and I agree. Carl's lectures in this book are very illuminating, and rationally examine the arguments purporting the existence of "God" as western religions profess the existence of. It is so refreshing to read his words again. I highly recommend this to anyone with an open mind, or anyone that is grappling with issues regarding the existence of God, and the implications of not finding evidence for the existence of God. Great reading, we miss you Carl!

has color pictures inside :) . I got it for 327 rupees from seller 'Amazing Buy'. I think it's the first time the price was so low.

Collected lectures by the very same person who convinced NASA to turn their Voyager 1 around and snap a shot of Earth from 6 terameters (3.7 billion miles or 40 AU) away... (see: 'The Pale Blue Dot')Dated, the lectures took place in 1980's -- you'd have to look in footnotes for updates, but that doesn't take a bit from this great source of wisdom. (Illustrations, mostly color photos, are up-to-date though.)As the name points-out, the book could be understood as an 'Update' on James' series, 'The Varieties of Religious Experience...', in very near, ~80+ years, 'space-time.'If you've ever looked for an entity of omnipresence and omnipotence and didn't find any believable one -- try this: Dr. Sagan isn't omniscient; however, he can explain to any reasonably open mind his own understanding "the Nature of the Sacred."As many scientists before and after him tried to explain their special relationship with their work and it's object -- the world it tries to understand better, Dr. Sagan is on the humble side: he doesn't claim to favour any 'ism, yet one can be pretty sure where he stands.One last bit of Dr. Sagan's legacy (another 'Update' -- on Socrates I think): "...if we ever reach the point where we think we thoroughly understand who we are and where we came from, we will have failed..."

The Varieties of Scientific Experience is a deeply philosophical and very wise book, showing without doubt that atheism doesn't have to mean nihilism at all!

This wonderful book is based on mislaid transcripts of Sagan's Gifford lectures at the University of Glasgow in 1985. They form a touching and warmly fascinating reminder of the unique personality that was Carl Sagan. If, like me, you stayed up late at night in the pre-VCR age to watch his landmark 1980 series 'Cosmos', you'll have some idea of the scope of Sagan's intellect.These lectures centre on the comparison between the view of the universe contained within the sceintific and religous paradigms. Sagan's knowledge of astronomy and his support of what can be crudely summarised as informed scepticism gives some suggestion of his point of view. His topics are extra terrestrial intelligence, the exploration of the universe, the development of the scientific method and the dangers posed by the ability of the human race to destroy itself.The book is beautifully designed with Sagan's original slides and illustrations replaced by new images from, for instance, the Cassini probe. Sensitive editing by his colleague and wife Ann Druyan points out where Sagan's beloved scientific method has moved knowledge on since the lectures were given. Transcripts of the question and answer sessions at the lectures are an especial delight, and give a touching indication of Sagan's empathy.This is a fine testament to a wise man. I really enjoyed hearing his voice again, and it stands comparison with other current advocates of the scientific, sceptical position who are rather more shrill and less empatic in their advocacy. Perhaps the stakes are higher? Sagan is a model for those who find enough to worship in human potential and the universe around them.

I wish I was there to see Dr. Sagan's talks. This book pulls together his eloquence very well.