For centuries, science and spirituality have been shaped like two boxers in a ring; destined to fight until one is eliminated. We are often told to choose either the cold, hard logic of the laboratory or the warm, intuitive embrace of the spiritual.
Carl Sagan, perhaps the greatest bridge builder of the 20th century, disagreed. He did not consider science a “killer of spirituality”. Instead, he argued, the more we understand the mechanics of the universe, the more spiritual we actually become.
“Science is not only compatible with spirituality, it is a deep source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in the immensity of light years and in the passage of ages, when we understand the complexity, beauty and delicacy of life, then that soaring feeling, that feeling of excitement and humility combined, is certainly spiritual,” said Carl Sagan.
This perspective shifts the definition of spirituality from “belief in the supernatural” to “a deep sense of reverence for nature.”
Read also | Quote of the day by Jane Austen about marriage, rich men, social status
The origin of the quote
The quote was published in Carl Sagan’s 1995 masterpiece The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.
Written near the end of his life, the book was an impassioned defense of the scientific method against the rising tide of pseudoscience and superstition.
Sagan was not trying to be a “buzzkill” for the mystic in his book; he was trying to show that the real universe is far more miraculous than any myth we could invent.
He wrote this particular passage to make it clear that rejecting “demons” or “alien abductions” does not mean rejecting the human need for wonder. He wanted to reclaim the word “spiritual” for those who take refuge in the stars rather than the ancient scriptures.
Read also | Muhammad Ali Quote of the Day: “Suffer now and…”
What does this mean
What does it mean to find spirituality in the “immensity of light years”? For Sagan, spirituality was an emotional response to scale.
Looking at a photo of a galaxy 50 million light years away makes you feel small – that’s humbling. But you also realize that the atoms in your body were formed in the hearts of the stars just like her – that’s joy.
This “soaring feeling” is the crux of his argument. It is the realization that we are a universe experiencing itself.
In this context, spirituality is a by-product of a deep intellectual grasp of reality. It’s the emotional resonance that occurs when the brain finally catches up with the vastness of the universe.
Read also | Quote of the Day by George Harrison: “The Beatles saved the world from…”
Intersection of art, ethics and logic
Sagan famously expanded his definition of spirituality beyond the scope. He connected the “spiritual” feeling of scientific discovery with the emotions we feel in the presence of great art, music or literature.
By mentioning Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., Sagan bridged the gap between the cosmic and the mundane. He suggested that “selfless courage” is as much a part of the “complexity and beauty” of the universe as a supernova.
For Sagan, spirituality was not just about looking up; it’s about looking at each other with the same sense of respect and responsibility. It is an ethical framework built on the realization of how precious and fragile life really is.
Carl Sagan: The Astronomer Who Taught Us to Wonder
Born in Brooklyn in 1934, Carl Sagan was a polymath who changed the way we see the sky. A Cornell University professor and NASA consultant, he participated in the Mariner, Viking and Voyager missions.
Sagan was not just a “numbers guy”. He was a visionary who understood that science needed a story. He was the main creator of the landmark television series Cosmos, which remains one of the most watched programs in history.
His ability to explain complex astrophysics with poetic grace earned him the nickname “The Great Communicator”.
He spent his life campaigning for nuclear disarmament and environmental protection, guided by his “spiritual” awareness of the Earth’s vulnerability.
