The Purpose of Life: Science's Surprising Answer to Religion's Most Profound Question

by Sagan, Dorion

• ISBN13: 9781933392387
• ISBN10: 193339238X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-10-12
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Pub Co

Summary

What is the purpose of life? Some say it's to reproduce, others to glorify God, but behind these and other proposed purposes lies a scientific purpose. InThe Purpose of Life, science writer Dorion Sagan and biophysicist Eric D. Schneider lay out the fascinating evidence for life’s natural purpose —its function in an energy-driven cosmos. New evidence shows that the evolution of life on Earth over the past three-and-a-half billion years has not been random but has a clear direction, and its direction is related to life's function as a natural system. Indeed, life shares its function —its purpose —with that of certain other complex natural systems. Although the answer is simple and not exclusive —life may have other purposes —its profound implications may change the way we see ourselves, our relationships to other living beings, and our future on this shared, energy-driven planet. Sagan and Schneider provide a striking alternative to both scientific and religious views of this age-old question. Engaging recent bestsellers such as Rick Warren’sThe Purpose-Driven Lifeand Eckhart Tolle’sA New Earth: Finding Your Life's Purpose, The Purpose of Lifegoes beyond popular science, weaving literature, philosophy, and spirituality into a highly readable narrative.