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The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life and the Human Mind

Dunér, David LU orcid ; Parthemore, Joel LU ; Persson, Erik LU orcid and Holmberg, Gustav LU (2013)
Abstract
Human beings have wondered about the stars since the dawn of the species. Does life exist out there – intelligent life, even – or are we alone? The quest for life in the universe touches on fundamental hopes and fears. It touches on the essence of what it means to formulate a theory, grasp a concept, and have an imagination. This book traces the history of the science of this area and the development of new schools in philosophy. Its essays seek to establish the history and philosophy of astrobiology as research fields in their own right by addressing cognitive, linguistic, epistemological, ethical, cultural, societal, and historical perspectives on astrobiology.



The book is divided into three sections. The first... (More)
Human beings have wondered about the stars since the dawn of the species. Does life exist out there – intelligent life, even – or are we alone? The quest for life in the universe touches on fundamental hopes and fears. It touches on the essence of what it means to formulate a theory, grasp a concept, and have an imagination. This book traces the history of the science of this area and the development of new schools in philosophy. Its essays seek to establish the history and philosophy of astrobiology as research fields in their own right by addressing cognitive, linguistic, epistemological, ethical, cultural, societal, and historical perspectives on astrobiology.



The book is divided into three sections. The first (Cognition) focuses on the human mind and what it contributes to the search for life. It explores the emergence and evolution of terrestrial life and cognition and the challenges humans face as they reach to the stars. The essays raise philosophical questions, pose ethical dilemmas, and offer a variety of approaches, including one from cognitive zoology, in formulating a theory of the universal principles of intelligence, the limits of human conceptual abilities, and the human mind’s encounter with the unknown.



The second section (Communication) examines the linguistic and semiotic requirements for interstellar communication. What is needed for successful communication? Are there universal rules for success? What are the possible features – and limitations – of exolanguages? What is required for recognizing a message as a message?



The third section (Culture) considers cultural and societal issues. It explores astrobiology’s organization as a scientific discipline, its responsibilities to the public sphere, and its theological implications. It reviews the historically important panspermia hypothesis, along with the popularization of astrobiology and its ongoing institutionalisation.



Through addressing these questions, we take our first steps in exploring the immense terra incognita of extraterrestrial life and the human mind. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
editor
LU orcid ; LU ; LU orcid and LU
organization
publishing date
type
Book/Report
publication status
published
subject
pages
280 pages
publisher
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN
978-1-4438-5035-3
project
Centre for Cognitive Semiotics (RJ)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
19e5ebf1-8627-4543-abdf-4c0e13165754 (old id 4196147)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:55:25
date last changed
2023-08-09 03:05:50
@book{19e5ebf1-8627-4543-abdf-4c0e13165754,
  abstract     = {{Human beings have wondered about the stars since the dawn of the species. Does life exist out there – intelligent life, even – or are we alone? The quest for life in the universe touches on fundamental hopes and fears. It touches on the essence of what it means to formulate a theory, grasp a concept, and have an imagination. This book traces the history of the science of this area and the development of new schools in philosophy. Its essays seek to establish the history and philosophy of astrobiology as research fields in their own right by addressing cognitive, linguistic, epistemological, ethical, cultural, societal, and historical perspectives on astrobiology.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The book is divided into three sections. The first (Cognition) focuses on the human mind and what it contributes to the search for life. It explores the emergence and evolution of terrestrial life and cognition and the challenges humans face as they reach to the stars. The essays raise philosophical questions, pose ethical dilemmas, and offer a variety of approaches, including one from cognitive zoology, in formulating a theory of the universal principles of intelligence, the limits of human conceptual abilities, and the human mind’s encounter with the unknown.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The second section (Communication) examines the linguistic and semiotic requirements for interstellar communication. What is needed for successful communication? Are there universal rules for success? What are the possible features – and limitations – of exolanguages? What is required for recognizing a message as a message?<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The third section (Culture) considers cultural and societal issues. It explores astrobiology’s organization as a scientific discipline, its responsibilities to the public sphere, and its theological implications. It reviews the historically important panspermia hypothesis, along with the popularization of astrobiology and its ongoing institutionalisation.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Through addressing these questions, we take our first steps in exploring the immense terra incognita of extraterrestrial life and the human mind.}},
  editor       = {{Dunér, David and Parthemore, Joel and Persson, Erik and Holmberg, Gustav}},
  isbn         = {{978-1-4438-5035-3}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Book Editor}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge Scholars Publishing}},
  title        = {{The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life and the Human Mind}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}