Global human civilization is facing unprecedented systemic crises: ecological destruction, social inequality, political conflicts, economic turmoil, and technological risks exhibit cumulative, intergenerational, and irreversible trends. From a scientific-philosophical perspective, this paper proposes that the fundamental crisis of human civilization stems from a long-standing erroneous cosmology—a geocentric or anthropocentric mode of cognition. This cognitive error profoundly affects worldviews, life views, and institutional design, leading to severe misalignment between industrial civilization and natural laws, while simultaneously amplifying the global crises caused by (...) humanity’s boundless greed. -/- Based on a systematic analysis of this structural crisis, this paper proposes the Lao‑Yang Genesis Cosmology as a scientific salvaging framework. This cosmology reveals the chain of cosmic generation and natural laws, establishing a logical closed loop from cosmology → worldview → life view → civilization, providing a scientific basis for the systematic reconstruction of education, institutions, technology, and culture. At the same time, it introduces the principles of natural civilization, including system embedding, feedback loops, and adherence to natural laws, offering an operational framework for global governance, intergenerational responsibility, and sustainable development. -/- By guiding the reconstruction of civilization through a scientific cosmology, this paper demonstrates the only viable path for the salvation of human civilization: cultivating systemic thinking through education, constraining behavior through institutional design, innovating technologies in accordance with ecological and systemic rules, and strengthening the cultural value system in recognition of the unity of humanity and nature. Ultimately, global civilization can achieve low-entropy operation, intergenerational fairness, ecological sustainability, and systemic stability, avoiding irreversible collapse caused by cognitive errors and human greed. This work not only provides a new paradigm for philosophy and social sciences but also offers scientific guidance and practical pathways for global sustainable development. (shrink)

A few remarkable examples of alternative cosmological theories are shown, ranging from a compilation of variations on the Standard Model (inhomogeneous universe, Cold Big Bang, varying physical constants or gravity law, zero-active mass, Milne cosmology, cyclical models), through the more distant quasi-steady-state cosmology, plasma cosmology, or universe models as a hypersphere such as the Dynamic Universe, to the most exotic cases including static models with non-cosmological redshifts of galaxies. -/- Most cosmologists do not usually work within the (...) framework of alternative cosmologies very different from the standard one because they feel that these are not at present as competitive as the standard model. It is true that they are not so developed, but that is because cosmologists do not work on them. This vicious circle is to a great extent due to a sociological phenomenon known as the "snowball effect", in which resources are distributed to the most successful theory at a given time; the effect acts as a potential in a field that attracts cosmologists, causing funds, research positions, prestige, telescope time, publication in top journals, citations, conferences, and other resources to be dedicated almost exclusively to standard cosmology. (shrink)

I discuss the relevance of the current predicament in cosmology to the debate over scientific realism. I argue that the existence of two, empirically successful but ontologically inconsistent cosmological theories presents difficulties for the realist position.

If the physical constants, initial conditions, or laws of nature in our universe had been even slightly different, then the evolution of life would have been impossible. This observation has led many philosophers and scientists to ask the natural next question: why is our universe so "fine-tuned" for life? The debates around this question are wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary, complicated, technical, and heated. This study is a comprehensive investigation of these debates and the many metaphysical and epistemological questions raised by cosmological fine-tuning. (...) Waller's study reaches two significant and controversial conclusions. First, he concludes that the criticisms directed at the "multiverse hypothesis" by theists and at the "theistic hypothesis" by naturalists are largely unsuccessful. Neither of these options can plausibly be excluded. Choosing between them seems to turn on primitive metaphysical intuitions. Second, in order to break the philosophical deadlock, Waller moves the debate from the level of universes to the level of possible worlds. Arguing that possible worlds are also "fine-tuned" in an important and interesting sense, Waller concludes that the only plausible explanation for the fine-tuning of the actual world is to posit the existence of some kind of "God-like-thing.". (shrink)

I argue that some important elements of the current cosmological model are 'conventionalist’ in the sense defined by Karl Popper. These elements include dark matter and dark energy; both are auxiliary hypotheses that were invoked in response to observations that falsified the standard model as it existed at the time.

Knowledge of the structure of the cosmos, Plato suggests, is important in organizing a human community which aims at happiness. This book investigates this theme in Plato's later works, the Timaeus, Statesman, and Laws. Dominic J. O'Meara proposes fresh readings of these texts, starting from the religious festivals and technical and artistic skills in the context of which Plato elaborates his cosmological and political theories, for example the Greek architect's use of models as applied by Plato in describing the making (...) of the world. O'Meara gives an account of the model of which Plato's world is an image; of the mathematics used in producing the world; and of the relation between the cosmic model and the political science and legislation involved in designing a model state in the Laws. Non-specialist scholars and students will be able to access and profit from the book. (shrink)

Plato used mathematics extensively in his account of the cosmos in the Timaeus, but as he did not use equations, but did use geometry, harmony and according to some, numerology, it has not been clear how or to what effect he used mathematics. This paper argues that the relationship between mathematics and cosmology is not atemporally evident and that Plato’s use of mathematics was an open and rational possibility in his context, though that sort of use of mathematics has (...) subsequently been superseded as science has progressed. I argue that there is a philosophically and historically meaningful space between ‘primitive’ or unreflective uses of mathematics and the modern conception of how mathematics relates to cosmology. Plato’s use of mathematics in the Timaeus enabled the cosmos to be as good as it could be, allowed the demiurge a rational choice (of which planetary orbits and which atomic shapes to instantiate) and allowed Timaeus to give an account of the cosmos (where if the demiurge did not have such a rational choice he would not have been able to do so). I also argue that within this space it is both meaningful and important to differentiate between Pythagorean and Platonic uses of number and that we need to reject the idea of ‘Pythagorean/platonic number mysticism’. Plato’s use of number in the Timaeus was not mystical even though it does not match modern usage. (shrink)

This paper provides a taxonomy of cosmological arguments and givesgeneral reasons for thinking that arguments that belong to a given category do not succeed.

We present a cosmological model (RL+) that offers exact predictions for the Hubble constant, the cosmological constant, the total energy density of the universe, and a curvature that matches current observational constraints. The model predicts a cosmological constant energy density that constitutes approximately 64% of the total energy budget, in agreement with current estimates from the standard LCDM model. Furthermore, the model addresses several longstanding cosmological problems—namely, the problem of infinite initial density, the coincidence problem, and the flatness problem—all with (...) the introduction of a single temporal parameter. (shrink)

Modern civilization faces a profound conceptual crisis: while scientific cosmology has displaced anthropocentric and theological worldviews, human civilization continues to operate under implicit metaphysical assumptions of domination, purpose, and control. This paper proposes the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology as a non-theological, non-anthropocentric framework that integrates classical Laozi philosophy with contemporary scientific cosmology and process thought. Central to this framework is the reinterpretation of Dao as an impersonal natural order rather than a metaphysical or religious entity. -/- Alfred North (...) Whitehead’s process philosophy is introduced not as an alternative metaphysics but as a modern Western language capable of articulating Dao-like principles in scientific terms. By critically reinterpreting Whitehead’s key concepts—process, creativity, eternal objects, and God—this paper dissolves their residual theological structure and re-grounds them in naturalistic, cosmological order. The Milky Way is proposed as the primary structural expression of Dao, anchoring cosmogenesis within a hierarchical, scale-invariant natural system extending from galactic dynamics to planetary ecology and human civilization. -/- Ethics and civilization are reframed not as moral absolutes but as alignment or misalignment with natural processes. Civilizational collapse is interpreted as a violation of systemic balance rather than moral failure. The paper concludes by outlining implications for ecology, governance, astrobiology, and non-anthropocentric artificial intelligence, arguing for a transition from worship-based metaphysics to comprehension-based natural philosophy. -/- Keywords -/- Dao, Process Philosophy, Whitehead, Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology, Natural Order, Milky Way, Non-Anthropocentrism, Ecological Civilization . (shrink)

Modern civilization faces a profound conceptual crisis: while scientific cosmology has displaced anthropocentric and theological worldviews, human civilization continues to operate under implicit metaphysical assumptions of domination, purpose, and control. This paper proposes the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology as a non-theological, non-anthropocentric framework that integrates classical Laozi philosophy with contemporary scientific cosmology and process thought. Central to this framework is the reinterpretation of Dao as an impersonal natural order rather than a metaphysical or religious entity. -/- Alfred North (...) Whitehead’s process philosophy is introduced not as an alternative metaphysics but as a modern Western language capable of articulating Dao-like principles in scientific terms. By critically reinterpreting Whitehead’s key concepts—process, creativity, eternal objects, and God—this paper dissolves their residual theological structure and re-grounds them in naturalistic, cosmological order. The Milky Way is proposed as the primary structural expression of Dao, anchoring cosmogenesis within a hierarchical, scale-invariant natural system extending from galactic dynamics to planetary ecology and human civilization. -/- Ethics and civilization are reframed not as moral absolutes but as alignment or misalignment with natural processes. Civilizational collapse is interpreted as a violation of systemic balance rather than moral failure. The paper concludes by outlining implications for ecology, governance, astrobiology, and non-anthropocentric artificial intelligence, arguing for a transition from worship-based metaphysics to comprehension-based natural philosophy. (shrink)

These selections from _Le système du monde_, the classic ten-volume history of the physical sciences written by the great French physicist Pierre Duhem (1861-1916), focus on cosmology, Duhem's greatest interest. By reconsidering the work of such Arab and Christian scholars as Averroes, Avicenna, Gregory of Rimini, Albert of Saxony, Nicole Oresme, Duns Scotus, and William of Occam, Duhem demonstrated the sophistication of medieval science and cosmology.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has not only brought technological innovation but also unprecedented civilization-level risks. This paper introduces the concept of “Cosmological Safety”, arguing that the root of AI risk is not merely a technical problem but a deep-seated disorder in human civilization, encompassing value systems, institutional structures, and worldviews. From an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates philosophy, physics, complex systems theory, and AI risk analysis, the study constructs an analytical framework centered on the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology, (...) embedding cosmic formation, the evolution of life, civilization development, and the emergence of intelligence into a continuous evolutionary chain. -/- Through systematic analysis, the paper reveals cognitive biases inherent in contemporary AI risk paradigms, including techno-centrism, growth-oriented competition, and functionalist ethics, and proposes civilization-level governance strategies based on cosmological understanding. It further demonstrates the relevance of Laozi’s philosophy within the context of modern systems theory, introducing three foundational principles—Ontological Humility, Negative Feedback First, and Natural Boundaries—to guide AI alignment and civilization safety. On this basis, the study constructs a multi-level alignment framework, decentralized intelligence networks, and civilization-scale risk mitigation mechanisms. Four categories of potential civilization failure are analyzed: technological hegemony collapse, digital totalitarian evolution, value-hollowing civilizations, and human-machine co-extinction. Finally, the paper proposes the evolutionary trajectory of future intelligent civilization: from tool-oriented AI to Adaptive Wisdom (AW) embedded within natural cycles, with humans transitioning from designers to stewards of civilization. -/- This work culminates in a declaration for rebuilding civilization under the lens of cosmic-scale rationality, providing a systematic theoretical and practical reference for AI governance, civilization safety, and long-term sustainable development. -/- . (shrink)

Inflationary cosmology won a large following on the basis of the claim that it solves various problems that beset the standard big bang model. We argue that these problems concern not the empirical adequacy of the standard model but rather the nature of the explanations it offers. Furthermore, inflationary cosmology has not been able to deliver on its proposed solutions without offering models which are increasingly complicated and contrived, which depart more and more from the standard model it (...) was supposed to improve upon, and which sever the connection between cosmology and particle physics that initially made the inflationary paradigm so attractive. Nevertheless, inflationary cosmology remains a promising research program, not least because it offers an explanation of the origin of the density perturbations that seeded the formation of galaxies and other cosmic structures. Tests of this explanation are underway and may settle the issue of whether inflation played an important role in the early universe. (shrink)

Two and a half thousand years ago Greek philosophers "looked up at the sky and formed a theory of everything." Though their solutions are little credited today, the questions remain fresh. Early Greek thinkers struggled to come to terms with and explain the totality of their surroundings, to identitify an original substance from which the universe was compounded, and to reconcile the presence of balance and proportion with the apparent disorder of the cosmos. M. R. Wright examines cosmological theories of (...) the "natural philosophers" from Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes to Plato, the Stoics and the NeoPlatonists. The importance of Babylonian and Egyptian forerunners is also emphasized. Cosmology in Antiquity is a comprehensive introduction to the cosmological thought in ancient times. (shrink)

This radical reinterpretation of the formative stages of Chinese culture and history traces the central role played by cosmology in the formation of China's early empires. It crosses the disciplines of history, social anthropology, archaeology, and philosophy to illustrate how cosmological systems, particularly the Five Elements, shaped political culture. By focusing on dynamic change in early cosmology, the book undermines the notion that Chinese cosmology was homogenous and unchanging. By arguing that cosmology was intrinsic to power (...) relations, it also challenges prevailing theories of political and intellectual history. (shrink)

If cosmology is to obtain knowledge about the whole universe, it faces an underdetermination problem: Alternative space-time models are compatible with our evidence. The problem can be avoided though, if there are good reasons to adopt the Cosmological Principle (CP), because, assuming the principle, one can confine oneself to the small class of homogeneous and isotropic space-time models. The aim of this paper is to ask whether there are good reasons to adopt the Cosmological Principle in order to avoid (...) underdetermination in cosmology. Various strategies to justify the CP are examined. For instance, arguments to the effect that the truth of the CP follows generically from a large set of initial conditions; an inference to the best explanation; and an inductive strategy are assessed. I conclude that a convincing justification of the CP has not yet been established, but this claim is contingent on a number of results that may have to be revised in the future. (shrink)

I discuss how modern cosmology illustrates under-determination of theoretical hypotheses by data, in ways that are different from most philosophical discussions. I emphasise cosmology's concern with what data could in principle be collected by a single observer ; and I give a broadly sceptical discussion of cosmology's appeal to the cosmological principle as a way of breaking the under-determination.I confine most of the discussion to the history of the observable universe from about one second after the Big (...) Bang, as described by the mainstream cosmological model: in effect, what cosmologists in the early 1970s dubbed the ‘standard model’, as elaborated since then. But in the closing Section 4, I broach some questions about times earlier than one second. (shrink)

Summary Cosmology has always been different from other areas of the natural sciences. Although an observationally supported standard model of the universe emerged in the 1960s, more speculative models and conceptions continued to attract attention. During the last decade, ideas of multiple universes (the ‘multiverse’) based on anthropic reasoning have become very popular among cosmologists and theoretical physicists. This had led to a major debate within the scientific community of the epistemic standards of modern cosmology. Is the multiverse (...) a scientific hypothesis, or is it rather a philosophical speculation disguised as science? This paper offers a review of the recent and still ongoing controversy concerning the multiverse, emphasizing its foundational nature and relation to philosophical issues. It also compares the multiverse controversy to some earlier episodes in the history of twentieth-century cosmology when particular theories and approaches came under attack for betraying the ideals of proper science. (shrink)

In the past, no research has been found on onomastics from a mystical perspective in literature. This study investigated onomastics in the tetralogy of novels by Ki Padmasusastra. The main point of view is the meaning of Javanese cosmology. Qualitative methods are used as research guidelines. The primary data are four Javanese novels. Hermeneutic techniques and content analysis are applied to analytical strategies. The results showed that the onomastics in TNKP are symbols of Javanese cosmology. This element of (...) Javanese cosmology has transformed onomastics through three things: the novel title, figure's name and location name. The symbolisation of the onomastic is implicit because it is wrapped in the aesthetics of the literary language. The name structure of each onomastic subsection has no clear meaning because the name element is intended for the sense of 'the other'. Names have an explicit function, namely as hypertextual fragments of symbols that transcend the narrative text structure. An important implication of this investigation is that onomastics can promote the transdisciplinary aspects of religion in international theology in the study of narrative texts. The cosmological transformation of Java can be reflected in various parts of culture, including in novels. TNKP is a cross-disciplinary meeting: fiction, linguistics, mystical, social, cultural and philosophical, contributing to further theological studies.CONTRIBUTION: This article contributes to the purpose of HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies to promote the transdisciplinary aspects of religious studies in the international theological arena of hermeneutic and philosophical studies behind the narrative text. (shrink)

The cosmology proposed by Stephen Hawking has been understood as support for an atheistic stance, due mainly to its view of the nature of time in combination with the absence of explicit boundary conditions. Against such a view, this article argues that one might develop a theistic understanding of the Universe in the context of Hawking's cosmology. In addition, the quantum cosmologies of Andrej Linde and Roger Penrose are presented. The coexistence of different research programs and their implicit (...) metaphysical views about the nature of quantum reality and time may have profound implications for philosophy and theology. (shrink)

This essay seeks to demonstrate the following: 1. the value of metaphysical cosmology to our relationship with nature, and to making policy about the environment; 2. the mistaken nature and harmful consequences of the hegemonic cosmology of anthropocentrism; 3. the possibility of Zhang Zai's Qi/qi Great Harmony cosmology as both the refutation of and replacement for anthropocentrism. The essay concludes that ultimate moral progress of expanding the self from the narrow and exclusionary views of anthropocentrism consists in (...) cosmocentrism, or the transformation of thought to a cosmological perspective as exemplified by Zhang Zai's Great Harmony continual cyclical process of Qi/qi. It is argued that positive metaphysical visions such as Zhang Zai's can negate anthropocen-tric cosmology and inspire us to view our relationship with the environment in a fundamentally enlightened and more respectful way, which is not arrogantly self-centred, disconnected and supremacist. (shrink)

This paper takes inspiration from the Silk Road crossroads of Dunhuang and proposes an “opportunistic trade”of concepts between distant intellectual traditions, in particular Mahāyāna Buddhism and contemporary dark matter cosmology. Dark matter presents philosophy of science with a tension: it is fundamental to the standard model of cosmology, yet directly unobservable, known only through its gravitational manifestations accessed by an extensive infrastructure of telescopes and computational models. The paper argues that the Mahāyāna Buddhist doctrines of emptiness (空) and (...) dependent origination (緣起), which entered sinified Buddhism through Nāgārjuna’s Madhyamaka (Middle Way, 中觀宗) and Heart Sūtra (Prajñāpāramitāhrdaya, 般若波羅蜜多心經), allow us to characterize dark matter as a scientific postulate that gathers a stabilized pattern of manifestations without reifying any substrate beneath. After that, the paper presents the thesis of New Confucian philosopher Xiong Shili (熊十力) on non-duality of reality and function (體用不二), which emerges from his critical and syncretic re-reading of Mahāyāna Buddhism, in order to mobilise the Buddhist concept of 不二 to dissolve the residual philosophical anxiety about dark matter’s ontological standing. The paper advertises a philosophical stance towards dark matter that is (a) comfortable with ambiguity, (b) resistant to premature ontological commitment, and (c) attuned to the mediated character of contemporary cosmological knowledge. The motivation behind this operation is to demonstrate that philosophical positions originating in or inspired by Mahāyāna Buddhism constitute a conceptual toolkit of equal theoretical importance for the philosophy of cosmology alongside the pathways grounded in the Western canon. (shrink)

In Ennead II.1 (40) Plotinus is primarily concerned to argue for the everlastingness of the universe, the heavens, and the heavenly bodies as individual substances. Here he must grapple both with the philosophical issue of personal identity through time and with the rich tradition of cosmology which pitted the Platonists against the Aristotelians and Stoics. What results is a historically informed cosmological sketch explaining the constitution of the heavens as well as sublunar and celestial motion. This book contains an (...) extensive introduction aimed at providing the necessary background in Platonic, Aristotelian, and Stoic cosmology, the text itself, and a line-by-line commentary designed to elucidate its philosophical, philological and historical details. (shrink)

This paper is a continuation of the previous work: V. Prits and V. Kuznetsov “The main fea- tures of the cosmological picture of the world.” After examining some of the discussions around newborn cosmology, the article considers cosmological problems from the point of view of the philosophy of modern cosmology. It is emphasized that today a single and coordi- nated view of cosmology and its philosophy has not been formed. The main objectives of the study are were, (...) firstly, to identify some philosophical, methodological and anthropological problems in the study of the Universe and, secondly, to focus on the interac- tion of philosophy and cosmology. It has been revealed that the cosmological principles on which almost all cosmological theories and models are based have a long and dramatic ideological history and philosophical founda- tion, and the concept of “Multiverse” is saturated with ontological and epistemological puzzles. The principles of Bruno-Copernicus and the anthropic cosmological principles are proposed to be considered in the light of the discovery of exoplanets. (shrink)

Time appears to ow for observers, yet general relativity describes a static block uni-verse. A spacetime diusivity eld ϵ(s) with dimensions [L2T−1] governs causal information resolution. Two Lorentz-invariant postulatesds/dt = c and dϵ/ds = cpromote ϵˆ and mˆ to canonical conjugates obeying [ϵˆ,mˆ ] = iℏ, yielding the Cosmological Uncertainty Principle: ∆ϵ·∆m ≥ k·ℏ/2. Information-Pixel Amplication extends this principle through spacetime’s granular structure: each Planck-length coherence cell contributes independent quantum ac-tion, yielding ∆ϵ·∆m ≥ (ℏ/2)·(D/ℓcoh) for distance D. Using an area-diusion (...) parameter, the framework further achieves an operational scale unication, deriving both Planck time (tP = ℓP /c) and Hubble time (tH = 1/H0) across 60 orders of magnitude. The theory gener-ates testable predictions: a cosmological horizon temperature TCUP = π ·TdS ≈ 9×10−30 K, and quantitative reproduction of Milky Way dark matter uncertainties (∼ 4 × 1041 kg) us-ing FRB-motivated diusivity parameters. Temporal ow emerges as information transport constraints, unifying quantum mechanics and cosmology while providing falsiable tests of spacetime’s quantum structure through precision astronomical measurements. (shrink)

This paper re-examines the idea of political vanguardism—long consigned to the dustbin of defunct scientific socialist ideology—to shed light on the theory of democratic representation. The discussion connects the use of the term “vanguard” by two prominent early socialist thinkers to what it terms the “cosmological” dimension of their writings. It shows how each author figured vanguard agency as fomenting different visions of the intellectual progress required for representative government, and that these visions were sustained by analogies to the origin (...) and development of astronomical objects. The “utopian” socialist Henri Saint-Simon (1770–1825) first invoked the vanguard metaphor to describe a way of thinking about scientific progress that would naturalize a new governing elite. The revolutionary communist Auguste Blanqui (1805–1881) then appropriated the vanguard idea to reimagine scientific authority in a way that would preserve and expand citizens’ capacities to hold their representatives accountable. The article pursues three goals. First, it provides a revisionist history of well-known scientistic attempts to stabilize mass democracy in the nineteenth century, revealing how claims to scientific authority were contested from within a socialist republican tradition usually seen as complicit in such agency-inhibiting ideologies. Second, the concept of vanguardism it reconstructs from this history, as a response to the “usurpation” of a vigilant attitude between citizens and office holders, offers new resources for theorizing democratic representation. Finally, it draws attention to the importance of cosmological rhetoric in the history of modern republican and socialist political thought. (shrink)

In antiquity living beings are inextricably linked to the cosmos as a whole. Ancient biology and cosmology depend upon one another and therefore a complete understanding of one requires a full account of the other. This volume addresses many philosophical issues that arise from this double relation. Does the cosmos have a soul of its own? Why? Is either of these two disciplines more basic than the other, or are they at the same explanatory level? What is the relationship (...) between living things and the cosmos as a whole? If the cosmos is an animate intelligent being, what is the nature of its thoughts and actions? How do these relate to our own thoughts and actions? Do they pose a threat to our autonomy as subjects and agents? And what is the place of zoogony in cosmogony? A distinguished international team of contributors provides original essays discussing these questions. (shrink)

This paper is a simple reminder for cosmology enthusiasts of the bright line separating the laws of physics from science fiction. It provides some tools: rules, guidelines and a definition of space useful for examining cosmology science claims and concepts. It explains the stringent thresholds for an idea before it can accurately be called a scientific theory or hypothesis; and who bears the burden of proof for a theory. These simple tools provide solid ground so you may more (...) easily examine cosmology claims to help make up your own mind which side of the science/science fiction line a specific claim belongs on. (shrink)

I reply to Houston Craighead, who presents two arguments against my version of the cosmological argument. First, he argues that my arguments in defense of the causal principle in terms of the existence being accidental to an essence is fallacious because it begs the question. I respond that the objection itself is circular, and that it invokes the questionable contention that what is conceivable is possible. Against my contention that the causal principle might be intuitively known, I reply to his (...) contention that again I have begged the question. Begging the question is not applicable in that I have not argued that a denial of the principle it possible, only that if it be denied, other endeavors likewise become impossible. Second, against my contention that the causal principle is really necessary, he asserts that the necessity predicated of propositions is solely logical necessity. I reject his contention that a really necessary proposition must either be logically necessary or else a plain contingent factuality. (shrink)

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to methodically present the cosmological views found in the corpus of Gregory Palamas’ extant works, and second, to situate them in the context of ancient Greek philosophy. Palamas’ cosmology is shown to be ordered and hierarchical, aligning with the fundamental principles of the ancient Greek worldview and Christian doctrine. The Palamite universe comprises two distinct worlds: the intelligible and the material. The former encompasses the realm of angels, while the latter extends (...) from the heavens to the earth, passing through the intermediate elemental spheres of fire, air, and water. The human being, as the preeminent inhabitant of the universe, is regarded as a microcosm reflecting the diverse aspects of the world through its natural constitution. In most of his views, Palamas is portrayed as a faithful follower of the ancient Greek cosmological tradition originating with Aristotle. (shrink)

Cosmological arguments from contingency attempt to show that there is a necessarily existing god‐like being on the basis of the fact that any concrete things exist at all. Such arguments are built out of the following components: (i) a causal principle that applies to non‐necessary entities of a certain category; (ii) a reason to think that if the causal principle is true, then there would have to be a necessarily existing concrete thing; (iii) a reason to think that the necessarily (...) existing thing would be god‐like. In this essay, I discuss various ways of developing each of these components to produce an argument from contingency, and I point out classic objections and replies along the way. I also make note of some of the most recent developments in arguments from contingency and point out avenues for future research. (shrink)

I discuss how modern cosmology illustrates underdetermination of theoretical hypotheses by data, in ways that are different from most philosophical discussions. I confine the discussion to the history of the observable universe from about one second after the Big Bang, as described by the mainstream cosmological model: in effect, what cosmologists in the early 1970s dubbed the ‘standard model’, as elaborated since then. Or rather, the discussion is confined to a (very!) few aspects of that history. I emphasize that (...) despite the underdetermination, a scientific realist can, and should, endorse this description. (shrink)

This book assembles an international team of scholars to move forward the study of Plato’s conception of time, to find fresh insights for interpreting his cosmology, and to reimagine the Platonic tradition.

Cosmology is based on a number of well-founded assumptions, which include Hubble's law and the cosmological principle. Most cosmologists and astronomers also tacitly accept a number of other assumptions and beliefs which constitute a sort of traditional cosmological lore. Among these are the notions that the universe is finite, that if it is not, then there must be an observational horizon which renders it finite for all practical purposes, that it is valid to employ the special relativistic Doppler formula (...) to interpret large cosmological redshifts, and that the expansion of the universe is slowing down toward its ultimate reversal. It is argued that none of these notions is incontrovertible and that some of them involve serious inconsistencies. An alternative approach is proposed which assumes that the universe is expanding uniformly and that it constitutes a fundamental reference frame for light propagation as implied by the Robertson-Walker metric. This approach leads to a model of the universe which is possibly infinite but without a specific observational horizon, and which satisfies the requirements of relativity. It is shown that the proposed model is theoretically consistent and that recent astronomical evidence supports its assumptions and predictions; it therefore presents a serious challenge to commonly held views about the universe. (shrink)

Recent developments in cosmology indicate that every history having a non-zero probability is realized in infinitely many distinct regions of spacetime. Thus, it appears that the universe contains infinitely many civilizations exactly like our own, as well as infinitely many civilizations that differ from our own in any way permitted by physical laws. We explore the implications of this conclusion for ethical theory and for the doomsday argument. In the infinite universe, we find that the doomsday argument applies only (...) to effects which change the average lifetime of all civilizations, and not those which affect our civilization alone. 1. Introduction2. Physics background2.1The number of possible histories is finite2.2The universe is infinite2.3Every possible history occurs an infinite number of times3. Frequency and probability4. Inflation contrasted4.1Modal realism4.2Actualism4.3Eternal recurrence5. Ethical implications6. Universal doomsday6.1Application to our civilization in particular6.2Universal vs. particular dooms6.3Practical applications7. Concluding remarks. (shrink)

The cosmological case for intelligent design, the idea that certain anthropic coincidences in the initial conditions of the universe at the big bang are evidence of an intelligent creator, is examined. Since no good account has ever been offered of how a nonphysical substance could act on a physical one, it is not clear that the hypothesis that the universe has been “fine-tuned” by an intelligent designer to produce creatures like us is even coherent. Even if it is, the possibility (...) that our universe is one amongst many that exist or have existed – the multiverse hypothesis, which would render anthropic coincidences unremarkable – is at least as worthy an explanation of the existence of our universe as the ideas that it resulted either from design or chance. It is concluded that cosmology does not represent the extraordinary evidence from which it would be possible to infer the existence of a supernatural creator. (shrink)

At Tm. 47e, Timaeus steps back from his discussion of what came about through noûs and turns toward an account of what came about through anankê. Broadie, 2012, Nature and Divinity in Plato’s Timaeus, sketches out two routes for the interpretation of this ‘new beginning.’ The ‘metaphysical’ approach uses perceptibles qua imitations of intelligibles in order to glimpse the intelligibles (just as we look at our reflection in a mirror in order to view ourselves). The ‘cosmological’ reading assumes we use (...) the perceptible part of the cosmos in order to come to know the entire cosmos. Broadie openly favors the cosmological reading for understanding the Timeaus as a whole. However, she confines its utility to the Timaeus and does not recommend it for other dialogues. I use Broadie’s ‘cosmological reading’ to better understand what Plato distinguishes as anankê in his second beginning. This sets the stage for my argument that Broadie’s cosmological reading is a promising means for understanding the metaphysics and epistemology of the Forms. By making some comparisons to Sophist (251c–256a), I show that a refined understanding of anankê in the second beginning of the Timaeus clarifies what Plato thinks is involved in coming to know a Form. I argue that a close look at what was available to the Demiurge for cosmic creation by means of noûs yields three distinct ways in which his construction of the cosmos was limited by anankê. Clarifying these three ways in which anankê operates shows that the Demiurge’s manipulation of the foundational elements yields a perceptible world that brings out some potential relationships among Forms while suppressing others. In particular, the Demiurge’s geometricization of the elements leads him to make compromises concerning how Forms can combine in the Receptacle. These choices produce nomological relationships among the Forms with respect to where they can overlap in the Receptacle. This produces the law-like and reliable, but unnecessary, behavior of the perceptible world. I argue that our understanding of these limitations and their translation into where the Receptacle can partake in more than one Form simultaneously, figures importantly in the estimating the potential for human knowledge of the Forms. I question the use of ‘necessity’ as a translation for ‘anankê’ in the Timaeus. (shrink)

The book adapts St. Thomas's Third Way of demonstrating the existence of God in light of contemporary issues in philosophy. Major topics in this study are causation, the principles of causation and sufficient reason, logical and real necessity, causation of the cosmos, and non-dependency of the cosmological on the ontological argument.

The book shows the connections between the personal and the social dimensions of freedom, and how all the meanings of freedom are functions of the natural cosmos.

In 1937 Dirac presented an argument, based on the socalled large dimensionless numbers, which led him to the conclusion that the Newtonian gravitational constantG changes with epoch. Towards the end of the last century Ernst Mach had given plausible arguments to link the property of inertia of matter to the large scale structure of the universe. Mach's principle also leads to cosmological models with a variable gravitational constant. Three cosmologies which predict a variableG are discussed in this paper both from (...) theoretical and observational points of view. (shrink)

So-called antimatter in the form of elementary particles such as positive electrons (antielectrons alias positrons) and negative protons (antiprotons) has for long been investigated by physicists. However, atoms or molecules of this exotic kind are conspicuously absent from nature. Since antimatter is believed to be symmetric with ordinary matter, the flagrant asymmetry constitutes a problem that still worries physicists and cosmologists. As first suggested by Paul Dirac in 1933, in distant parts of the universe there might be entire stars and (...) galaxies made of antiparticles alone. Why not? This paper examines how the concepts of antiparticles and antimatter slowly migrated from particle physics to astronomy and cosmology. At around 1970 a few physicists speculated about an anti-universe separate from ours while others looked for the charge asymmetry in quantum processes in the early big-bang explosion of the universe. Others again proposed a ‘plasma cosmology’ that kept our world and the hypothetical world of antimatter apart. Soviet physicists and astronomers were no less interested in the problem than their colleagues in the West. The paper details the development up to the late 1970s, paying attention not only to mainstream scientific works but also to more speculative ideas, some of them very speculative. By that time the antimatter mystery remained mysterious – which is still the situation. (shrink)

Cosmology, the study of the universe, has a past, which is reviewed here. The standard model—the Big Bang, or the hot, dense early universe that is still expanding—is based on observations that are basically consistent but which require additional input to improve the agreement. Out of the early universe came the galaxies and stars that shine today. The future of the universe depends on the density of matter: too much mass leads to the Big Crunch; too little leads to (...) eternal expans ion and cooling. The dark‐matter problem prevents us from knowing which will be the fate of the universe. Thelimits of what may be called “scientific” are addressed. (shrink)

Why Parmenides had a cosmology is a perennial puzzle, if, as the ‘truth’ part of his poem appears to claim, what exists is one, undifferentiated, timeless and unchanging.1 Indeed, not only does the cosmological part of the poem tell us how the cosmos is arranged, it also tells us how the cosmos, humans and animals all came into being. Although more of the truth has survived, the cosmology originally made up some 2/3 to 3/4 of the poem.2 The (...) poem claims it will give the ‘complete ordering’ and Parmenides is perceived to have ‘completed all the phenomena’.3 Parmenides also seems to have made some important original contributions to cosmology.4 These I take to be important facts which any explanation of the nature of this cosmology must account for. The aim of this paper is to explore a new suggestion for the status of the cosmology, that it may be equalled but not surpassed by other cosmologies which are capable of accounting for all of the phenomena. Its function, I argue, is to raise sufficient reason issues about some fundamental questions in cosmogony and cosmology. I will also argue that we can find sufficient reason considerations relating to cosmogony and cosmology in the truth part of the poem. This opens the possibility that it is at least in part issues of sufficient reason that link the two parts of the poem. Finally I will argue that by paying close attention to what Parmenides has to say about signs, σήματα, we can see how he leaves open the possibility of making positive contributions to cosmology. I believe this gives us a richer account of Parmenides, places him more firmly in the debates of presocratic cosmology and cosmogony and gives him interesting relations to his predecessors and successors.5 These sufficient reason considerations may work both as a critique of contemporary cosmogony and cosmology and a challenge to any future cosmogony and cosmology. (shrink)

A Weyl geometric approach to cosmology is explored, with a scalar field φ of (scale) weight −1 as crucial ingredient besides classical matter. Its relation to Jordan-Brans-Dicke theory is analyzed; overlap and differences are discussed. The energy-stress tensor of the basic state of the scalar field consists of a vacuum-like term Λgμν with Λ depending on the Weylian scale connection and, indirectly, on matter density. For a particularly simple class of Weyl geometric models (called Einstein-Weyl universes) the energy-stress tensor (...) of the φ-field can keep space-time geometries in equilibrium. A short glance at observational data, in particular supernovae Ia (Riess et al. in Astrophys. J. 659:98ff, 2007), shows encouraging empirical properties of these models. (shrink)

The cosmological constant is back. Several lines of evidence point to the conclusion that either there is a positive cosmological constant or else the universe is filled with a strange form of matter (“quintessence”) that mimics some of the effects of a positive lambda. This paper investigates the implications of the former possibility. Two senses in which the cosmological constant can be a constant are distinguished: the capital Λ sense in which lambda is a universal constant on a par with (...) the charge of the electron, and the lower case λ sense in which lambda is a humble constant of integration. The latter interpretation has been touted as the means to a solution to various problems in physics. These claims are critically examined with an eye to discerning the implications for philosophy of science and foundations of physics. (shrink)