Philosophy Stack Exchange
Philosophy Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [cosmology]

Cosmology is "the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin and general structure of the universe, with its parts, elements, and laws, and especially with such of its characteristics as space, time, causality, and freedom" 1.

1. cosmology. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cosmology

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What should a rational person accept as a miracle?

I was reading through this collection of short essays from theologians, scientists and thinkers each responding to the question "Does the Universe have a purpose?" which was suggested to me in a response to my question here on the purpose of the…
Saeed Neamati
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What is the purpose of the universe?

There are two extremes known as creationism vs evolutionism. Let's consider creationism for a moment, and imagine that God exists, and he/she has created us. The question that obsesses my mind after that is simply, why? What was the purpose of God…
Saeed Neamati
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Is the universe isomorphic to a universal turing machine?

I often think about problems that require an understanding of the very essence of computation and its inherent limitations. So, my questions are as followed: Is the universe isomorphic to a universal turing machine? Is the universe isomorphic to a…
Quaternary
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What is the best scientific argumentation against the Dust Theory?

The "Dust Theory", by Greg Egan, states that... ... there is no difference, even in principle, between physics and mathematics, and that all mathematically possible structures exist, among them our physics and therefore our spacetime. These…
Hugo Sereno Ferreira
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Does refuting the fine-tuning argument for the existence of God necessarily require belief in a Multiverse?

The fine-tuning argument for the existence of God is based on the fact that certain physical constants can only have very specific values for life to exist in the universe. If there was even the slightest change in any of these constants, the…
Alexander S King
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Does the "Sniper Firing Squad" analogy undermine the anthropic principle’s objection to the fine-tuning argument for God's existence?

The anthropic principle, also known as the "observation selection effect", is the hypothesis, first proposed in 1957 by Robert Dicke, that the range of possible observations that could be made about the universe is limited by the fact that…
user66156
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How could our universe suddenly appear out of nothingness?

How could our universe suddenly appear out of nothingness? I understand that the big bang created all things but how could it when nothingness is purely the absence of everything?
Dan
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Is it fallacious to posit alien life just based on the size of the universe?

Many scientists and many people, if not most of the world, believe that there is life elsewhere on the universe. Many of them also believe that there is advanced life out there in the universe that may be similar to us. The reasoning behind this is…
Syed
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Is the anthropic principle a "cop-out"?

Forgive me in advance for the provocative title. It's likely I only have a pop-science understanding of the AP and there is something important I'm missing. That's why I'm asking the question! My understanding of the anthropic principle is that it's…
Batperson
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What is nothing?

In Lawrence Krauss' book A Universe From Nothing he portrays "nothing" as a physical state. He says that nothing is found by removing all of what we know to be things (particles, electrons etc). I've found that in watching his debates a common…
William Perkins
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How do proponents of the Cosmological argument respond to the nature of time?

How do proponents of the Cosmological argument respond to the nature of time? Is asking what occurred before the Big Bang like asking what is north of the North Pole? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmological_argument#Scientific_positions: It is…
user16659
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Has religion adapted to modern cosmology and if so how?

I wonder how existing major religions follow modern cosmology. Is God a god of the planet Earth, or of the whole solar system, or of the entire universe? If he is the god of the whole universe, is he also the god of other hypothetical alien species?…
John Am
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What is a miracle, and why should it influence our metaphysical beliefs?

There's a question on this site regarding what a rational person should accept as a miracle, but the question and its answers seem to take the definition and categorization (as well as consequence) of a 'miracle' for granted. Hume defined a miracle…
That Guy
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Is topology used outside of cosmology in philosophy?

It seems like topology is used to model spacetime, but outside of cosmology, it seems like topology has absolutely no use in philosophy. Is topology used to create models that relate to abstract and non-physical concepts in philosophy? I was looking…
user37389
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What role does "counting histories" play in Deutsch's critique of the "simulation argument"?

In his book The Beginning of Infinity, David Deutsch argues that there is a problematic assumption behind the simulation argument that "virtually all instances of us are in ... simulations and not in the original world" since counting the number of…
orome
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