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What makes a unified theory of physics about the universe so extraordinarily promising that "it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason—for then we would know the mind of God"? (S. Hawking 1988: 175)
The euphoric framing of this worldview is all the more questionable, especially because this claim comes from a world-renowned physicist who later changed his mind and proposed something else instead: "Some people will be very disappointed if there is not an ultimate theory that can be formulated as a finite number of principles. I used to belong to that camp. I have changed my mind. I’m now glad that our search for understanding will never come to an end and that we will always have the challenge of new discovery." (S. Hawking 2005)
So, which camp is correct in this debate on understanding the universe? Contrary to the two opposing camps, the understanding of the universe is neither possible nor desirable to the extent that its respective defenders would like us to believe.
Of course, this is not to say that cosmology is a worthless field of study, or its other fields of study (like metaphysics, theology, astrology, and esotericism) should be dismissed. Needless to say, neither of these two extreme views is reasonable either.
The important point to remember is that this book provides an alternative (better) way to understand the nature of the universe, especially in relation to its contested beginnings and speculative ends—while learning from different approaches in the literature but without favoring any one of them (nor integrating them, since they are not necessarily compatible with each other). Thus, this book offers a new theory to transcend the existing approaches in the literature on cosmology in a way not conceived before.
If successful, this seminal project is to fundamentally change the way that we think about cosmology, from the combined perspectives of the mind, nature, society, and culture, with enormous implications for the human future and what I originally called its "post-human" fate.
This book provides an alternative (better) way to understand the nature of the universe, especially in relation to its contested beginnings and speculative ends — while learning from different approaches in the literature but without favoring any one of them (nor integrating them, since they are not necessarily compatible with each other). Thus, this book offers a new theory to transcend the existing approaches in the literature on cosmology in a way not conceived before.
Contents:
List of Tables • Foreword • Acknowledgements • List of Abbreviations
Part One: Introduction • Chapter One. Introduction—The Awe of the Universe • The Euphoric Framing of a Worldview • Cosmology vs. Cosmogony • The Different Conceptions of the Universe • Some Deep Questions in Cosmology • The Theoretical Debate • The Theory of Post-Cosmology • Theory and Meta-Theory • The Logic of Existential Dialectics • Sophisticated Methodological Holism • Chapter Outline • Some Clarifications
Part Two: The Contested Beginnings • Chapter Two. The Universe and Its Contested Beginnings • The Persuasion of Its Contested Beginnngs • Its Contested Beginnings—and the Mind • Its Contested Beginnings—and Nature • Its Contested Beginnings—and Society • Its Contested Beginnings—and Culture • The Questionability of Its Contested Beginnings • The Future of Post-Human Cosmology
Part Three: The Speculative Ends • Chapter Three. The Universe and Its Speculative Ends • The Wonder of Its Speculative Ends • Its Speculative Ends—and the Mind • Its Speculative Ends—and Nature • Its Speculative Ends—and Society • Its Speculative Ends—and Culture • The Controversy of Its Speculative Ends
Part Four: Conclusion • Chapter Four. Conclusion—The Future of Cosmology • Beyond the Contested Beginnings and Speculative Ends • Thesis: The Absoluteness-Relativeness Principle • Thesis: The Predictability-Unpredictability Principle • Thesis: The Explicability-Inexplicability Principle • Thesis: The Preciseness-Vagueness Principle • Thesis: The Simpleness-Complicatedness Principle • Thesis: The Openness-Hiddenness Principle • Thesis: The Denseness-Emptiness Principle • Thesis: The Slowness-Quickness Principle • Thesis: The Expansion-Contraction Principle • Thesis: The Convention-Novelty Principle • Thesis: The Evolution-Transformation Principle • Thesis: The Symmetry-Asymmetry Principle Thesis: The Regression-Progression Principle • Thesis: The Sameness-Difference Principle • Thesis: The Post-Human Odyssey • Towards Post-Cosmology
Bibliography • Index
ISBN - 9788130919935
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Pages : 432
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