Final answer:
The idea that nothing is special about our place in the universe is known as the Copernican principle, which denotes Earth's non-central role in the cosmos and suggests the likelihood of life elsewhere.
Step-by-step explanation:
Philosophers of science sometimes call the idea that there is nothing special about our place in the universe the Copernican principle. This principle is named after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who proposed that the Earth is not at the center of the universe but rather orbits around the Sun just like other planets. The Copernican principle suggests that our position in the Milky Way Galaxy, and even the galaxy's position within the universe, is not unique or central. It underpins modern thinking in astronomy, pushing aside any 'Earth chauvinism' and reminding us that Earth's characteristics are just one possibility of how nature can organize reality. Considering the vastness of the universe, with billions of stars and other galaxies, the likelihood of life existing elsewhere seems quite plausible. The cosmological principle, which extends the idea of the Copernican principle, assumes that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales, allowing scientists to make general inferences about the universe without assuming that our local neighborhood is special or different.