Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications Of The Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life [Paperback]

Paul Davies (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0465004199 | ISBN-13: 978-0465004195 | Publication Date: June 28, 1996

Scientists and governments are actively searching for signs of life in the universe. Will their efforts meet with success? Award-winning author Paul Davies, an eminent scientist who writes with the flair of a science fiction writer, explores the ramifications that the discovery of extraterrestrial life would have for our science, our religions, and our worldview in general.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, says Paul Davies. Just as these ideas sparked religious and philosophical controversy when they were first offered, so would proof of life arising away from Earth. With this brief book (160 pages, including two appendices and an index), Davies tries to get ahead of the curve and begin to sort out the metaphysical mess before it happens. Many science fiction writers have preceded him, of course, but here the matter is plainly put. This is a very good introduction to a compelling subject.

From Publishers Weekly

This bite-size volume for the nonscientist reviews fact and speculation concerning the possible existence of extraterrestrial life. In the process, Davies (The Mind of God) explores metaphysical arguments and attitudes that would be affected by discovery of other life. A physicist, natural philosopher and winner of the 1995 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, he presents an approach that is broad and inquiring, not dogmatic. In clear and comfortable prose, he renders some deep thoughts in terms of simple, intuitive concepts, with many effective references to relevant theology, philosophy and science fiction as well as natural science. Contents include a sketch of NASA's current search program (SETT) and a survey of the vested viewpoints at risk. An intriguing chapter considers the nature of consciousness (distinguished from intelligence) as it may exist in the universe. Davies concludes that boundaries between religious and scientific facets of the topic may be illusory. Illustrations.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (June 28, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465004199
• ISBN-13: 978-0465004195
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,165,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Davies is an internationally acclaimed physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist at Arizona State University, where he runs the pioneering Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He also chairs the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Post-Detection Taskgroup, so that if SETI succeeds in finding intelligent life, he will be among the first to know. The asteroid 1992OG was officially renamed Pauldavies in his honor. In addition to his many scientific awards, Davies is the recipient of the 1995 Templeton Prize--the world's largest annual prize--for his work on science and religion. He is the author of more than twenty books, including The Mind of God, About Time, How to Build a Time Machine, and The Goldilocks Enigma. He lives in Tempe, Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Broad Scope, June 23, 2001

By 

Atheen M. Wilson "Atheen" (Mpls, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications Of The Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life (Paperback)

Paul Davies' book Are We Alone? is deceptively simple. While its purported topic is the possibility of alien life, it also covers and covers more extensively the various theories of sentience, what it is, why it is, and how common it might be. It also explains the anthropic principle, which uses the fact that we exist to explain why the universe is as it is. The volume is a little too short to cover the topics well, but it is definitely very lucid. It also contains a very nice bibliography, a veritable who's who of cosmology and the extraterrestrial question, including Barrow and Tipler (The Anthropic Cosmological Principle), Crick (Life Itself), Dawkins (The Blind Watchmaker), Drake (Is Anyone Out There?), Gould (Wonderful Life), Hoyle (The Intelligent Universe), and Sagan (The Cosmic Connection). This book definitely makes a fine start to understanding the topic of intelligent life and the possibility of its existence elsewhere.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all time Favorites!, February 18, 2000

By 

Carbon Klein - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications Of The Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life (Paperback)

This book turned out to be a philosophy book that discusses the origin of life, the evolution of technology and the subsequent advancement of this civilization across space. It is well written, very entertaining and yes, it makes you think. I could paraphrase ideas set forth by this book, but it's better if you read the book for yourself...it's a small book and a quick read, so buy it NOW! You will not be sorry! This book is much more interesting and satisfying than Frank Drake's book on SETI (Is Anyone Out There?). I gave my copy to my friend and am tempted to buy another copy for me to reread!

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOW TO SEE AN ALIEN: A POWERFUL POCKET SETI!, August 3, 2000

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"toscoreadens" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications Of The Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life (Paperback)

If you are the kind of person who thinks that little green men are a scientific certainty and that you have seen flying saucers yourself on at least a dozen occasions, well this is the sort of book you can avoid reading, because it does not add a gram of proof and encouragement to your cherished, wishful beliefs.

And if, on the contrary, you are the kind of person who looks down to even the most moderate and rationally controlled hypothesis about the existence of extraterrestrial forms of intelligence as to something bordering blasphemy or evil antireligious spiritual leanings, well this is the sort of book you can as well avoid reading for it really sets such possibility in the realistic frame of an open-minded philosophical attitude, with tons of anthropocentric glory crumbling down from the high pedestal of dogma and inviolable principles.

But, as I hope, you are the kind of person who likes to explore fundamental issues of our contemporary worldview without any preliminary bigotry or ideological bias in your mind and who, in addition, is able to enjoy the pleasure of a highly entertaining style of writing, well this book promises to be two hours of your time spent in a rewarding intellectual company!

It's up to you to choose or feel to which extent your innermost sensibility joins your intelligence in more or less admitting such a possibility as alien life and consciousness: but, as usual, what really matters is not convictions or opinions which may always vary in the course of time according to further personal meditation or new scientific evidence. What really matters is that books like this offer you a rich and provoking schema which you can use for ever as a creative mind map in developing your own thoughts and your own philosophical questioning.