Final answer:
Carl Sagan believed that the scientific attitude is a balance between skepticism and openness, where skepticism provides a cautious approach to accepting new knowledge, while maintaining a willingness to consider and examine new evidence and ideas.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Carl Sagan, the scientific attitude balances skepticism and openness. To Sagan, the essence of the scientific method involves a balance where skepticism plays a critical role alongside a keen openness to new ideas and evidence. This skeptical inquiry ensures that scientists critically analyze and test their hypotheses before accepting them as knowledge.
On the one hand, a healthy degree of skepticism prevents us from readily accepting falsehoods or being misled by erroneous reasoning or deception. On the other hand, too much skepticism can lead to a dismissal of the very possibility of gaining knowledge. As such, Sagan advocates for a positive skepticism that remains open to obtaining knowledge while exercising careful critique and examination throughout the scientific process.