Cosmic Ethics for the Anthropocene: Ecological Humanism in Carl Sagan’s Selected Works

Author Information

Nelvy Gracia Majaw, North Eastern Hill University, India

Abstract

This paper investigates how Carl Sagan’s selected works articulate ecological and humanist ethics, addressing underexplored ethical dimensions of his work. Drawing on Sarton’s concept of humanism and integrating Latour’s actor-network theory with Braidotti’s posthumanist perspectives, the study explores how Sagan’s philosophy operates as a mediating space between humanist and posthumanist frameworks to cultivate ecological awareness. In dialogue with the environmental ethics of Aldo Leopold and the deep ecology of Arne Næss, the paper adopts a qualitative textual and theoretical analysis of selected works by Sagan. It argues that Sagan’s cosmic perspective functions as an ethical model that promotes humility, planetary accountability, and acknowledges ecological interdependence. The findings demonstrate that Sagan’s writings offer a distinctive framework for ecological responsibility by decentering the human while maintaining ethical commitment to Earth’s inhabitants. This study contributes to environmental humanities by proposing a cosmological mode of ethics that reorients debates on human responsibility, environmental ethics, and planetary stewardship.