Carl SaganIf we are merely matter intricately assembled, is this really demeaning? If there's nothing here but atoms, does that make us less or does that make matter more?
About This Quote
We are all made up of atoms. If nothing else, our bodies are made up of tiny particles called atoms. But there are other things in the universe that are made up of even smaller particles. What about the universe itself? Do you think it's less because it's made up of tiny, individual atoms? Our individual atoms are also made up of even smaller particles.
The smallest particles in the universe may be made up of electrons and neutrinos, and each electron and neutrino is actually made up of even smaller particles called quarks. And so on. So, our individual atoms really aren't all that special.
Still, we can't help but feel like we're special because we're made up of matter: atom after atom, molecule after molecule, and so forth. We can see ourselves as a single entity that is different from everything else in the universe. Why else would we take such pains to preserve our identities?
Source: The Varieties Of Scientific Experience: A Personal View Of The Search For God
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