Humans and the Cosmos: Exploration and Mindfulness

Antony Black

2014. g. jūn. · AuthorHouse

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What kind of a universe do we live in? Where do we fit into the galaxies? Does God explain it all? We live in a staggering cosmos which only we understand and appreciate. This book locates us in a cosmic story. We need to bring together science, the humanities, experience and self-awareness. The world revealed by modern science is a source of great wonder. Yet Darwinism makes belief in a loving god virtually impossible. And by our knowledge and appetites we are destroying our habitat by carbon emissions and global warming. Death is a fact of life, but, unless we take drastic action, human life itself will become barely possible. What can we do to save our grandchildren? How can we find happiness without god and without destroying our descendants? We have to learn how to live in a new way. We need to deepen our instincts for reciprocity and compassion. We can learn how to thrive in harsh circumstances with the help of the philosophy, theology and poetry of both East and West. Above all, we need to use our own judgment. We can find satisfaction through, for example, art and exploration without deflowering the earth. And by meditation we can develop an inner space of still delight.

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Professor Antony Black has lectured at the University of Dundee for forty years on Western political thought, Marxism, Islam and communitarianism. His publications include The West and Islam: Religion and Politics in World History (Oxford University Press, 2008). He sees climate change as the greatest danger facing humanity today.