The Ethics Of Cosmology

Within the last one hundred years, the scientific conception of the universe has undergone radical change. As a result a new field has evolved, called "cosmology," that examines the philosophical and scientific nature of the universe. Cosmology conceives of a material universe in which the interior of atoms do not act in the same predictable manner as the objects we can see and in which space is no longer empty volume unaffected by the matter within it. The universe is not a machine that operates with the same set of rules, but rather a living, growing organism. This new cosmology is forcing a consideration of the meaning of life that also calls for a reconsideration of moral law—the doctrine of natural right. Natural law theory is based on a cosmology that is grounded in classical metaphysics. John C. Caiazza uses the term "natural right" rather than "natural law" since his argument for cosmic teleology is based on the cosmology of contemporary science and not that of classical metaphysics. If evolution and development are the key to understanding nature, it is important to get the evolutionary concept of nature right, especially when it involves ethics. The universe can be viewed in two ways. One can admire the intricacy of the cosmological process on the physical, chemical, and astronomical levels. Or, one can look at this process as a result of design or providence. These two options should not preclude each other, Caiazza asserts; we should instead look closely at what science reveals about design. This volume offers an opportunity to reconcile the thinking of those who hold to traditional religious views on the origins of the universe and those who look to scientific explanations.

Ellis and Murphy show how contemporary sciences actually support a religiously based ethic of nonviolence, not by appealing to the Enlightment's mechanismic Creator God or revelation's Father God but by discerning the transcendent ground in the laws of nature, the emergence of intelligent freedom, and the echoes of "knoetic" self-giving in cosmology and biology.

Within the last one hundred years, the scientific conception of the universe has undergone radical change. As a result a new field has evolved, called “cosmology,” that examines the philosophical and scientific nature of the universe. Cosmology conceives of a material universe in which the interior of atoms do not act in the same predictable manner as the objects we can see and in which space is no longer empty volume unaffected by the matter within it. The universe is not a machine that operates with the same set of rules, but rather a living, growing organism. This new cosmology is forcing a consideration of the meaning of life that also calls for a reconsideration of moral law—the doctrine of natural right. Natural law theory is based on a cosmology that is grounded in classical metaphysics. John C. Caiazza uses the term “natural right” rather than “natural law” since his argument for cosmic teleology is based on the cosmology of contemporary science and not that of classical metaphysics. If evolution and development are the key to understanding nature, it is important to get the evolutionary concept of nature right, especially when it involves ethics. The universe can be viewed in two ways. One can admire the intricacy of the cosmological process on the physical, chemical, and astronomical levels. Or, one can look at this process as a result of design or providence. These two options should not preclude each other, Caiazza asserts; we should instead look closely at what science reveals about design. This volume offers an opportunity to reconcile the thinking of those who hold to traditional religious views on the origins of the universe and those who look to scientific explanations.

Although a great deal has been written on Plato's ethics, his cosmology has not received so much attention in recent times and its importance for his ethical thought has remained underexplored. By offering accounts of Timaeus, Philebus, Politicus and Laws X, the book reveals a strongly symbiotic relation between the cosmic and human sphere. It is argued that in his late period Plato presents a picture of an organic universe, endowed with structure and intrinsic value, which both urges our respect and calls for our responsible intervention. Humans are thus seen as citizens of a university that can provide a context for their flourishing even in the absence of good political institutions. The book sheds light on many intricate metaphysical issues in late Plato and brings out the close connections between his cosmology and the development of his ethics.

A groundbreaking and wide-ranging presentation of Plutarch’s ethics based on the cosmological foundation of his ethical thought Plutarch of Chaeronea (c. 45-120 CE) is the most prolific and influential moral philosopher in the Platonic tradition. This book is a fundamental reappraisal of Plutarch’s ethical thought. It shows how Plutarch based his ethics on his particular interpretation of Plato’s cosmology: our quest for the good life should start by considering the good cosmos in which we live. The practical consequences of this cosmological foundation permeate various domains of Greco-Roman life: the musician, the organiser of a drinking party, and the politician should all be guided by cosmology. After exploring these domains, this book offers in-depth interpretations of two works which can only be fully understood by paying attention to cosmological aspects: Dialogue on Love and On Tranquillity of Mind.

In this book, Aleksandr V. Bezgodov and Konstantin V. Barezhev formulate planetary ethics—the most important part of the philosophy of the Planetary Project. Planetary ethics represent the moral basis and value code for building a biocompatible, harmonious, and manageable civilization. They analyze the moral and ethical views of those Russian cosmists who belonged to the natural science branch of this unique philosophical, scientific, and cultural phenomenon. Looking at the world through the prism of a planetary-cosmic consciousness, cosmists developed a system of biocentric and humanistic values. Russian cosmism is a spiritual rebellion of life against chaos, death, and limitation. A combination of science, philosophy, poetry, and a certain utopianism extended on a universal scale makes Russian cosmism a prologue to the modern nonclassical, science-based worldview that emphasizes synergy and globalism. Back in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, cosmists focused on a united humanity and the principles of a close relationship between man and the universe. This monograph lays the groundwork for the planetary ethics that originated in the philosophy of Russian cosmism. The monograph continues the series of books of the Planetary Project, Planetary Project: From Sustainable Development to Managed Harmony and Planetary Rent as an Instrument for Solving Global Problems.

This is the companion volume to "Absolute Relativity and the Relativity of the Absolute". The human relevance of the Absolute is Ethics, which is manifest by cosmic morality via cosmodynamics, the modus operandi of the Absolute. Human morality ought to mirror cosmic morality, for optimal alignment with the Absolute, for which a new set of guidelines, the Thirty Commandments were introduced together with the basic propositions of a new ideology, called Mirism (from the Russian "Mir", meaning both "world" and "peace"). It was suggested that the solution to the external problems of Mankind is progressive colonization of outer space (with the strict proviso of not exporting our Evil and contaminating the Cosmos thereby), while the internal solution is moral maturation. Once maturation will have reached the level of integrity, then Mankind will have earned evolution into the next phase, the Cosmic Era.