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Astrobiology and Society

This chapter traces the history of the search for life in the universe, from the ancient Greek atomists to the emergence of modern astrobiology. The idea of inhabited worlds dates back at least to the ancient Greeks and was rationally discussed as a part of natural philosophy, mainly in the context of cosmological worldviews. If cosmological worldviews gave birth to the idea of extraterrestrial life, then philosophy and literature, in their traditional role of examining the human condition, explored the ramifications of the idea borne of that cosmological context. Interest in astrobiology and society in its broadest sense dates back at least a quarter century to the days when NASA was planning its Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program. Today, astrobiology is a thriving enterprise around the world and the societal aspects are becoming an integral part of it.