Cosmology

:For the jazz band, see Cosmology (band).

Disciplines

The earliest form of cosmology appears in the origin beliefs of many religions as they seek to explain the existence and nature of the world. In many cases, views about the creation (cosmogony) and destruction (eschatology) of the universe play a central role in shaping a framework of religious cosmology for understanding humanity's role in the universe and his relationship to one or more divine beings.

Related Topics:
Origin belief - Cosmogony - Eschatology - Religious cosmology - One - More

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In recent times, physics and astrophysics have come to play a central role in shaping what is now known as physical cosmology, i.e. the understanding of the universe through scientific observation and experiment. This discipline, which focuses on the universe as it exists on the largest scales and at the earliest times, begins by arguing for the big bang, a sort of cosmic explosion from which the universe itself is said to have erupted ~13.7 ± 0.2 billion (109) years ago. After its violent beginnings and until its very end, scientists then propose that the entire history of the universe has been an orderly progression governed by physical laws.

Related Topics:
Physics - Astrophysics - Physical cosmology - Big bang - Billion - End - Physical laws

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In between the doctrines of religion and science, stand the philosophical perspective of metaphysical cosmology. This ancient field of study seeks to draw logical conclusions about the nature of the universe, man, god and/or their connections based on the extension of some set of presumed facts borrowed from religion and/or observation. One example is the cosmological argument which is an argument for the existence of God based primarily on the point of view that the mere existence of a universe demands a creator.

Related Topics:
Philosophical - Metaphysical cosmology - Logic - Cosmological argument - Argument for the existence of God

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As a finer distinction between religion and philosophy, esoteric cosmology is distinguished from religion in its more sophisticated construction and reliance on intellectual understanding rather than faith, and from philosophy in its emphasis on techniques of psycho-spiritual transformation.

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