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change We can call it a physical metaphysics, to distinguish it from questions arising from moral philosophy, concerned with the nature of justice and values With this definition in mind, we will embark on a critical examination of metaphysics thinking in cosmology, starting from the very beginning, pre-scientific cosmogonical (creation) myths
Peirce defines cosmology as the branch of metaphysics which addresses ultimate philosophical problems “relating to the world as it exists in space and time, and to the order of nature ” In addition, a few lines below this definition, Peirce emphasizes a difference that is very useful for the present concern He distinguishes cosmogony from cos-
Physical cosmology is the scientific study of the origin of the universe, its large-scale structures and dynamics, and its ultimate fate, as well as the scientific laws that govern these areas Physical cosmology is therefore the branch of physics and astrophysics that deals with the study of the physical origins and evolution of the Universe
Metaphysics has been a primary area of philosophical debate It is mainly concerned with explaining the nature of being and the world Traditionally, it has two different study areas, including Cosmology and Ontology Cosmology is focused on understanding the origin, evolution, and the eventual fate of the universe, which include laws that keep
3 Nicolas O Lossky defined “cosmology” in his famous book, “History of Russian Philosophy” this way: “Moreover, the world-whole, studied by the branch of metaphysics called cosmology, contains concrete individual elements of such significance as for instance, the biological evolution, the
1 The Possibility of Metaphysics (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 2002), p 2 2 One should distinguish cosmology in this sense from the [more specialized] astrophysical study of the history, structure, and basic dynamics of the universe Nevertheless, cosmology as a branch of metaphysics may utilize the findings of this branch of astronomy
Utugwang Cosmology in Perspective The term cosmology is derived from two Greek words namely cosmos and logos; cosmos meaning the world and logos meaning science or study Thus, etymologically, cosmology means the science or study of the world Cosmology is a branch of metaphysics