Cosmos

It is clear that Sagan is working within the context of the Cold War, the time during which the United States and the former Soviet Union, along with their respective allies, were engaged in a prolonged dispute over geopolitical territories and particular political philosophies. The Cold War lasted from the post-World War II period to the late 1980s, and it still continues to hover over geopolitical realities to this day. The author is clearly concerned with the fate of the Earth—he also addresses such hot-button issues as climate change, colonialism, and social justice—but he focuses specifically on the preponderance of nuclear armaments and on the countries most likely to wield them: “The global balance of terror, pioneered by the United States and the Soviet Union, holds hostage the citizens of the Earth” (326). Clearly, the world and its primary concerns have changed in the ensuing 40-plus years; however, these concerns are not yet eradicated. The author repeatedly addresses the idea that “Every thinking person fears nuclear war, and every technological state prepares for it” (320). The inevitability of this kind of preparation keeps the author looking for potential answers, including the idea that humanity will eventually unite as one—perhaps the only one—curious and intelligent species.

Sagan also notes that the Earth’s inhabitants might not be the only civilization prone to self-destruction: “If civilizations tend to destroy themselves soon after reaching a technological phase, there might be no one to for us to talk with but ourselves” (301). He is suggesting that, if there have been other advanced worlds out in the galaxy, they may already have eradicated themselves, much like the pathway that Earth appeared to be on during the Cold War. The development of nuclear weapons, and their use during World War II, alerted the scientific community and the rest of humanity to the possibilities of mutually assured destruction (also known by its acronym MAD). While many military strategists considered this to be a deterrent to full-scale nuclear warfare during the Cold War, it is now less certain that it would actually be effective. The repeated threats about the use of nuclear weapons by dictatorial regimes in North Korea and Russia show that this continues to be a geopolitical hazard today.

The author also points out that humanity’s trepidation about encountering an alien species might have something to do with anxieties about our destructive capabilities: “Perhaps our fears about extraterrestrial contact are merely a projection of our backwardness, an expression of our guilty conscience about our past history” (311). This also reminds the reader that the roots of the Cold War lie in the ashes of World War II, wherein millions of people lost their lives. Most perished due to extreme prejudice—the attempted genocide of the Jews by the Nazi regime in Germany is undeniably the most tragic expression of the war—but many also died fighting to preserve liberty and democratic values. These are the same values that the author links to past scientists fighting to preserve their right to look at the cosmos in a different way. His search for other intelligent life in the universe is deeply tied to a belief that “our explorations can be carried out only on behalf of all the people of the planet Earth” (342). The personal voyage that is Cosmos is also a journey of unity and justice for the peoples of Earth.