This is something which has been debated forever
So as earlier pointed out there was Fermi. Let me start with Drake, who over a lunch-debate about number "sentient" species came up with Drake's Equation on an approximate number of habitable planets in the universe.
So he took most pessimistic numbers in consideration, he looked at Rate of Star formation, a fraction of those stars with planets, average number of planets with potential for life, fraction of life to become intelligent, fraction of intelligent life to go to space, and lengths of time for them to send signals in outer space. (I am just giving a gist of the main thought). This number in the observable universe itself is humungous.
Drake formulated this in the 1960's and then later came Fermi with his Paradox. If Drake's number was so high why haven't we heard from anyone yet?
So two main school of thoughts are:
1) There are Aliens but no one is interested: (why?)
a) They think of us as inferior, there is nothing they could get from us, so they don't care about us
b) All civilizations eventually go mechanical and thus start reaching a state of self-actualization where they wonder and ponder about existence and life rather than going about some space adventures
c) our part of universe is silent and relatively empty
2) There are no aliens (at least no intelligent space-faring aliens) (why?)
So till the last decade, it was considered hubris to think of humanity as an only possible civilization in the universe. However, lately, some other things have come into Drake's equation which even makes Earth actually an anomaly
a) Our star - Sun is a G Type Star. G Type are most rare in the universe. G Type is stable, they do not expand or contract or throw tons of radiation. That radiation itself would kill any life that might be close to the star. So a planet, even with water, the inhabitable zone around any star that is Not a G Type, would have almost zero probability of sustaining or nurturing an intelligent life.
b) Meteors - Twice our planet has been cleansed so to speak. One happened when Earth was settling down and that Meteor most probably brought life to a sterile planet. That life bloomed and reached almost to the Jurassic age. If second Meteor wouldnt have happened to wipe out the dinosaur, the apes would never get to be dominant species on the planet. So timing of that impact is extraordinary.
c) Jupiter and Saturn - Most solar systems we observe from Earth, have interior planets as large planets with sizes going down as we go away from their star. The reason for this is simple, in earlier stages of formation of a solar system, all planets are debris and Sun attracts more of them towards it due to its massive gravity. Most debris gets together and forms planets over a period of time. Jupiter and Saturn for Earth have been like big overprotective brothers. Amount of comets, meteorites they attract towards them kept and keeps Earth Safe.
d) Galaxy Core - Galaxies have a core, we are not sure yet what their colour signifies, however, we have recently found that these cores have gone calmer in relatively recent times (recent in astronomical terms). Which actually signifies that "Life" in any form is a relatively recent phenomenon. As these Galaxy cores in newly formed Galaxies are violent and spew enough radiation to wipe out any things in its entire star systems.
e) Moon - A tidally locked Moon, give us currents, climates and spin to our axis. More importantly in most of the observable systems, nowhere we have Planet vs Sattelite ratio as Earth vs Moon in sizes. Our Moon is super special.
f) Lastly the basics, a molten core to give us magnetic shield, presence in the habitable zone
Thus are we special, yes we are.
There is just one race Human race, and there is just this planet.
Makes me feel more humble to do good.