2006/02/13 by George F. R. Ellis, George Ellis, Ellis, George F. R. · 12 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Anthropic principle #Astronomy #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #Computer science #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #De Sitter universe #Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution #Epistemology #FOS: Physical sciences #Non-standard cosmology #Philosophy #Physical cosmology #Physics #Quantum cosmology #Quantum mechanics #Relation (database) #Relativity and Gravitational Theory #Series (stratigraphy) #Theoretical physics #Universe #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0602280
published in arXiv (Cornell University) (Cornell University) · To appear in the Handbook in Philosophy of Physics, Ed J Butterfield and J Earman (Elsevier, 2006). Small imporvements plus crucial change in Thesis B2
openalex publication_date 2006/02/13 · arxiv created 2006/03/29 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/08
After a survey of the present state of cosmological theory and observations, this article discusses a series of major themes underlying the relation of philosophy to cosmology. These are: A: The uniqueness of the universe; B: The large scale of the universe in space and time; C: The unbound energies in the early universe; D: Explaining the universe -- the question of origins; E: The universe as the background for existence; F: The explicit philosophical basis; G: The Anthropic question: fine tuning for life; H: The possible existence of multiverses; I: The natures of existence. Each of these themes is explored and related to a series of Theses that set out the major issues confronting cosmology in relation to philosophy.