Philosophy and the Origin and Evolution of the Universe

Philosophy and the Origin and Evolution of the Universe PDF Author: E. Agazzi
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401135983
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 473

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Book Description
It has often been noted that a kind of double dynamics char- terizes the development of science. On the one hand the progress in every discipline appears as the consequence of an increasing specialization, implying the restriction of the inquiry to very partial fields or aspects of a given domain. On the other hand, an opposite (but one might better say a complementary) trend points towards the construction of theoretical frameworks of great ge- rality, the aim of which seems to correspond not so much to the need of providing «explanations» for the details accumulated through partial investigation, as to the desire of attaining an - rizon of global comprehension of the whole field. This intell- tual dialectics is perceivable in every discipline, from mathe- tics, to physics, to biology, to history, to economics, to sociology, and it is not difficult to recognize there the presence of the two main attitudes according to which human beings try to make «intelligible» the world surrounding them (including themselves), attitudes which are sometimes called analysis and synthesis. They correspond respectively to the spontaneous inclination which pushes us to try to understand things by seeing «how they are made», in the sense of «looking into them» and breaking them into their constitutive parts, or rather to encompass things in a global picture, where they are accounted for as occupying a place, or playing a role, which are understandable from the point of view of the whole.

Philosophy and the Origin and Evolution of the Universe

Philosophy and the Origin and Evolution of the Universe PDF Author: E. Agazzi
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401135983
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 473

Get Book Here

Book Description
It has often been noted that a kind of double dynamics char- terizes the development of science. On the one hand the progress in every discipline appears as the consequence of an increasing specialization, implying the restriction of the inquiry to very partial fields or aspects of a given domain. On the other hand, an opposite (but one might better say a complementary) trend points towards the construction of theoretical frameworks of great ge- rality, the aim of which seems to correspond not so much to the need of providing «explanations» for the details accumulated through partial investigation, as to the desire of attaining an - rizon of global comprehension of the whole field. This intell- tual dialectics is perceivable in every discipline, from mathe- tics, to physics, to biology, to history, to economics, to sociology, and it is not difficult to recognize there the presence of the two main attitudes according to which human beings try to make «intelligible» the world surrounding them (including themselves), attitudes which are sometimes called analysis and synthesis. They correspond respectively to the spontaneous inclination which pushes us to try to understand things by seeing «how they are made», in the sense of «looking into them» and breaking them into their constitutive parts, or rather to encompass things in a global picture, where they are accounted for as occupying a place, or playing a role, which are understandable from the point of view of the whole.

Cosmosapiens

Cosmosapiens PDF Author: John Hands
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 146831324X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 711

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Book Description
“A critical overview of scientific orthodoxy in an attempt to answer the fundamental questions “what are we?” and “why are we here?” (Kirkus Reviews). Specialist scientific fields are developing at incredibly swift speeds, but what can they really tell us about how the universe began and how we as humans evolved to play such a dominant role on Earth? John Hands’s extraordinarily ambitious book merges scientific knowledge from multiple disciplines and evaluates without bias or preconception all the theories and evidence about the origin and evolution of matter, consciousness, and mankind. The result, a “pearl of dialectical reasoning” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), provides the most comprehensive account yet of current ideas such as cosmic inflation, dark energy, the selfish gene, and neurogenetic determinism. In the clearest possible prose, it differentiates the firmly established from the speculative and examines the claims of various fields to approach a unified theory of everything. In doing so it challenges the orthodox consensus in those branches of cosmology, biology, and neuroscience that have ossified into dogma. Its “shocking and invigorating” analysis (Daily Telegraph, A Best Science Book of 2015) reveals underlying patterns of cooperation, complexification, and convergence that lead to the unique emergence in humans of a self-reflective consciousness that enables us to determine our future evolution. This groundbreaking book is destined to become a classic of scientific thinking. Praise for Cosmosapiens “This is a truly exceptional piece of work.” —Tim Crane, Knightsbridge Professor of Philosophy, The University of Cambridge “A game-changer. In the tradition of Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, this lucidly written, penetrating analysis challenges us to rethink many things we take for granted about ourselves, our society, and our universe. It will become a classic.” —Peter Dreier, E P Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics, Occidental College “Hands is an astute observer of recent trends in scientific ideas bold enough to point out what he sees as sense and nonsense and intelligently explain why. Even in cases where one might disagree, the arguments are thought-provoking.” —Paul Steinhardt, Albert Einstein Professor in Science, Princeton University

The Philosophy of Human Evolution

The Philosophy of Human Evolution PDF Author: Michael Ruse
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521117933
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
Provides a unique discussion of human evolution from a philosophical viewpoint, covering such issues as religion, race and gender.

By Design Or by Chance

By Design Or by Chance PDF Author: Denyse O'Leary
Publisher: Kitchener, Ont. : Castle Quay Books
ISBN: 9781894860031
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
O'Leary provides by far the broadast overview yet of the ID movement. she quotes ID leaders such as Phillip Johnson, William Dembski and Michael Behe. she also quotes their sternest critics, including Richard Dawkins, Stephen J. Gould and Michael Ruse. She writes about the Wedge movement, DNA, the age of the Earth, the search for extraterrestrial life, the teaching of ID in schools, and the monarch butterfly. She anticipates the culmination of the ID revolution by writing that Darwinism "was part of our folklore." Yet the evolutionary tales she relates are still widely taught as fact in many schools. This well organized guidebook of O'Leary's journey through the world of Intelligent Design has the potential to lead many of the next generation away from the evolutionary fables that now pass for science. Her book is must reading for anyone who wants to understand the history and significance of the Intelligent Design movement. It also belongs in college and even high school classrooms. Forrest M. Mims III, U.S. science journalist Denyse O'Leary has been a freelance writer since 1971. She specializes in science news of interest to faith communities for such publications as Christianity Today, Faith Today, and the Christian Times. She is the author of several titles including Faith@Science: Why Science Needs Faith in the Twenty-First Century, and it the Faith and Science columnist for ChristianWeek. She has written for newspapers, magazines, book publishers, and trade jounals, including the Globe & Mail, the Toronto Star, and Canadian Living.

Elementary Cosmology

Elementary Cosmology PDF Author: James J Kolata
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
ISBN: 1681741644
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 155

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Book Description
Cosmology is the study of the origin, size, and evolution of the entire universe. Every culture has developed a cosmology, whether it be based on religious, philosophical, or scientific principles. In this book, the evolution of the scientific understanding of the Universe in Western tradition is traced from the early Greek philosophers to the most modern 21st century view. After a brief introduction to the concept of the scientific method, the first part of the book describes the way in which detailed observations of the Universe, first with the naked eye and later with increasingly complex modern instruments, ultimately led to the development of the "Big Bang" theory. The second part of the book traces the evolution of the Big Bang including the very recent observation that the expansion of the Universe is itself accelerating with time.

The Human World in the Physical Universe

The Human World in the Physical Universe PDF Author: Nicholas Maxwell
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780742512269
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
How is it possible for the world as we experience it to exist embedded in the physical universe? How can there be sensory qualities, consciousness, freedom, science and art, friendship, love, justice--all that which gives meaning and value to life--if the world really is more or less as modern science tells us it is? This is the problem that is tackled by this book. The solution proposed is that physics describes only a selected aspect of all that exists--that aspect which determines the way events unfold. Sensory qualities, inner experiences, consciousness, meaning and value, all these exist but lie beyond the scope of physics, and of that part of science that can be reduced to physics. Furthermore, these human features of the world are to be explained and understood, not scientifically, but "personalistically," a kind of understanding distinct from, and not reducible to, science. This view that the world is riddled with what may be called "double comprehensibility" leads to a proposed solution to the philosophical mind/body problem, and to the problem of free will; it leads to a reinterpretation of Darwin's theory of evolution, and to an account of the evolution of consciousness and free will. After a discussion of the location of consciousness in the brain, the book concludes with a proposal as to how academic inquiry might be changed so that it becomes a kind of inquiry rationally designed to help humanity create a more civilized human world in the physical universe.

Journey of the Universe

Journey of the Universe PDF Author: Brian Thomas Swimme
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300171900
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 191

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Book Description
The authors tell the epic story of the universe from an inspired new perspective, weaving the findings of modern science together with enduring wisdom found in the humanistic traditions of the West, China, India, and indigenous peoples. This book is part of a larger project that includes a documentary film, educational DVD series, and Web site.

A Universe from Nothing

A Universe from Nothing PDF Author: Lawrence Maxwell Krauss
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 145162445X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
This is a provocative account of the astounding new answers to the most basic philosophical question: Where did the universe come from and how will it end?

The Origin of the Universe and the Origin of Religion

The Origin of the Universe and the Origin of Religion PDF Author: Fred Hoyle
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781559210829
Category : Cosmology
Languages : en
Pages : 91

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Book Description
This is Sir Fred's controversial giant comet theory about the origins and continuing development of the universe. Initially delivered as a lecture in the Anshen Transdisciplinary Lectureships in Art, Science, and the Philosophy of Culture at The Frick Collection in New York City, this challenging treatise by astrophysicist, Sir Fred Hoyle, one-time Plumian Professor of Astrophysics, Cambridge University begins by instructing us how to avoid "being sucked into a maelstrom of respectable ignorance. Whenever the word 'origin' is used, disbelieve everything you are told". Then, in a progressive, fathomable, fascinating discourse, he posits his beliefs about the origin of the universe, beginning with an explanation of the ice ages and his theory of the giant comet, the disintegration of which, Hoyle maintains, contributed to the origin of religion. Under expert guidance, we see how this event gave rise to the belief in Mohammed, early Christianity, and impacts upon the thinking of medieval times.

The Riddle of the Universe

The Riddle of the Universe PDF Author: Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description