Posted by Boje on October 21, 1999 at 20:34:34:
In Reply to: Tom as a 'scientist' and 'historian' posted by rpcman on October 21, 1999 at 14:13:06:
Rpcman, et al.,
I’ve always maintained a great respect for your ability to back up your opinions, not to mention your authentic pronouncements, but in this instance you are failing to distinguish between scientific conclusions and politically oriented prose. Sagan’s popular publications – all of which I’ve read, incidentally – make no claims of immunity from personal biases on the part of the author. On the contrary, he is unabashedly opinionated in all of his books.
His writings had the stated intent of persuading his readers to reconsider their previously held beliefs, which he had evidence to conclude differed markedly from his own subjective viewpoints. They were not meant to be precise. They were meant to appeal to popular points of contention. They were intended to stir up controversy. If his intentions were otherwise, he would have limited the publication of his views to scholarly forums, with peer-accepted scientific standards to constrain his expression of them, and he wouldn’t have stated his intentions in popular magazine and newspaper interviews.
All of this nitpicking aside; for you to attempt to argue counter to his own assertions misses the point of Sagan’s crusade.
Boje