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The Demon-Haunted World Study Guide

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by Carl Sagan
About 58 pages (17,504 words)
The Demon-Haunted World Summary

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Themes

Science vs. Superstition

Superstition, witchcraft, sky gods, and a belief in the supernatural are as old as humanity itself, according to Carl Sagan, and have continued into the modern world under the guise of the New Age. Science was basically invented by the ancient Greeks less than 2,000 years ago but has come into its full flowering only in the last few centuries. The succubi demons that purportedly seduced and abducted people in the Dark Ages have been replaced by little men with big eyes from outer space. Yet, the irrational beliefs that spring from fear and ignorance remain. Contemporary humans are presented with a duality: rational science or irrational beliefs and practices.

The primary difference between science and superstition, according to Sagan, is that science relies on a rigorous process of observation, proposed answers and.....

This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 820 words. This study guide contains 17,504 words (approx. 58 pages at 300 words per page).

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The Demon-Haunted World from BookRags and Gale's For Students Series. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.

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