Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of…
““Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking. I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time—when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Sagan warns that concentration of technological power and loss of critical thinking can lead society back to superstition and authoritarian control.
In simple terms: Loss of critical thought risks returning to superstition.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate critical thinking, protect democratic oversight.
Themes
technology
power
critical thinking
democracy
Mood
concerned
urgent
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education reform
- media literacy
- policy advocacy
- community dialogue
Key Concepts
information monopoly
social decay
public policy
Questions to Reflect On
- What can individuals do to strengthen critical faculties?
- How can societies prevent power concentration?
A Different Perspective
Economic shifts alone won’t solve underlying cultural decline.