The philosophical cosmology is a branch of philosophy that studies the theoretical universe considering that is formed by a set of finite beings, their essence, intelligence, origin, laws that govern its elements, most important attributes and destination. Philosophers studied this branch in order to establish the origin of the universe.
This discipline is constantly expanding. It is based on the fundamental concepts of cosmology and the philosophical perspective of the universe.
It employs fundamental theories of physics such as thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and special and general relativity.
In addition, it is based on some branches of philosophy such as the philosophy of physics, science, mathematics, metaphysics and epistemology.
Philosophical cosmology arises from the division of philosophy into different disciplines. Thus, from the philosophy of nature, which consists of the philosophical study of the beings that make up the physical world, psychology arises, which studies living beings, their mental processes and behavior; and philosophical cosmology, which studies physical beings without distinction: they all have motion, space and time in common.
It is also known as the philosophy of cosmology or the philosophy of the cosmos. Its main questions are directed to the limits of explanation, to the physical infinity, to the laws, especially those of the initial conditions of the universe, its selection effects and the anthropic principle, objective probability, the nature of space, to time and space.
The concept of philosophical cosmology tends to be restricted, understanding it to the study of inert mobile entities.
Aristotle was one of the first philosophers to ask questions about the universe, including its form. For this reason, his contributions range from the philosophy of nature to philosophical cosmology.
Origin of the term philosophical cosmology
Philosophy is an activity of the human being that creates numerous concepts and reflections on life.
By encompassing so many reflections, with the passage of time it has been divided into two main branches: theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, both outside of logic.
Theoretical philosophy studies the realities that can only be contemplated. From it arises the philosophy of nature that consists of the philosophical study of the beings that make up the physical world.
This in turn is divided into: psychology, which studies living beings, their mental processes and behavior; and in philosophical cosmology, which studies physical beings without distinction: they all have motion, space, and time in common.
Different philosophers dedicated themselves to thinking and deducing the origin of the Universe. Among them, Aristotle, exponent of the philosophy of nature, contributed his studies on the round shape of the Earth and the geocentric system.
So also Thales of Miletus stated that the origin of everything could be water. Thus, other philosophers tried to raise the origin of things beyond a mythical or magical explanation.
It is not until 1730 that the term cosmology, used by the German philosopher Christian Wolff, appears in Comologia Generalis.
Thanks to philosophical activity, man has learned to think coherently, therefore, it became inevitable to apply in questions about the universe, purely physical as well as philosophical questions. In this way philosophical cosmology would emerge.
Goals of philosophical cosmology
Among the questions that are tried to answer with the studies of philosophical cosmology are:
- What is the origin of the cosmos?
- What are the essential components of the cosmos?
- How does the cosmos behave?
- In what sense, if any, is the universe perfected?
- What is the quantum state of the universe, and how does it evolve?
- What is the role of infinity in cosmology?
- Can the universe have a beginning, or can it be eternal?
- How do physical laws and causality apply to the universe as a whole?
- How do complex structures and order come into existence and evolve?
To explain the union of cosmology and philosophy, it is necessary to ask this question: has the beginning of the Universe become a rigorously scientific question, so much so that science is capable of solving it itself?
Science proposes that the Universe was created from "nothing". The concept of nothingness and the assumption that it is possible, is a philosophical concept that goes beyond what can be established by a scientific search.
The concept of emptiness is close to that of nothingness, yet they are different in the philosophical sense. What is understood as a void in physics and cosmology is shared with essential physical properties, and deserves the name of space or space-time rather than that of nothing.
This shows that the thesis of the creation of the Universe from nothing, such as "the tunnel of nothing", "fluctuation of nothing", among others, are not purely scientific theses.
If one omits energy, mass, and even geometry as characteristics not of nothing but of active (dynamic) space-time, it must be recognized that "in the beginning" there must be laws of nature, according to which "Nothing creates the world ', which also assumes the existence of something that can be called the world of logic and mathematics. In this sense, in explaining the origin of the Universe some structure of rationality is necessary.
This conception inevitably leads to philosophy. Physics can explain the origin, order and content of the physical Universe, but not the laws of physics itself.
From the philosophical point of view, the conception of the non-existence of borders of time and space displaces the problem of the source of the initial conditions to the question of the origin of physical laws, according to which the Universe has no borders.
The limitations of our scientific knowledge about the Universe to its observable part (called the horizontal Universe) mean that we are not able to scientifically verify the correctness of a rule for the initial conditions (or its lack) for the entire Universe.
After all, we observe the results of the evolution of only part of the initial state.
References
- Agazzi, E., (2000) Philosophy of Nature: Science and Cosmology. F, Mexico. Recovered from: books.google.co.ve
- Anderson, R., (2012) What Happened Before the Big Bang? The New Philosophy of Cosmology. The Atlantic. Recovered from: com
- Carrol, S., (2014) Ten Questions for the Philosophy of Cosmology. Preposterous Universe. Recovered from: preposterousuniverse.com
- Jason, C., (2011) What is Cosmology. Bright Hub. Recovered from: brighthub.com
- Lopez, J., (2014) Wolf and the Utility of Philosophy. Siglo XXI newspaper. Recovered from: diariesigloxxi.com
- Molina, J., (2010). Christian Wolff and the Psychology of the German Enlightenment. Person, (13) January-December, pp 125-136.
- Such, J., (sf) The Origin od the Universe and Contemporary Cosmology and Philosofy. Boston University. Recovered from: bu.edu.