OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE

Three remarkable Views

Carl Becker

The significance of man in that he is that part of the Universe that asks the question. "What's the significance of Man?" He alone can stand apart imaginatively an, regarding himself and the universe in their eternal aspects, say: "The significance of man is that he is insignificant and is aware of it."

                                                     Carl Becker, American historian (1873-1945), in Progress and Power

Aldous Huxley

(...) "There's only one corner of the Universe you can be certain of improving, and that is your own self. Your own self, " he repeated. So you have to begin there, not outside, not on other people. That comes afterwards, when you're worked on your own corner. (...)

                                                   Aldous Huxley, english writer (1894-1963), in Time Must Have a Stop

Albert Einstein

A certain distinguished astronomer once declared at a scientific meeting: "To an astronomer, man is nothing more than as insignificant dot in an infinite universe."

"I agree," said Einstein. "But then I realize that the insignificant dot who is man is also the astronomer."

                                                                         Albet Einstein (1879-1955), German-born physicist of Jewish descent, in The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes.