Cykliczny obraz świata we współczesnej kosmologii. Próba filozoficznej oceny modelu ekpyrotycznego Steinhardta i Turoka

Abstract

I present a brief history of cosmology, where I point at a certain class of cosmological models in which the Universe is conceived as an endless cycle of phases evolving in a specific way. Here I state an analogy with the discussion about the status, or rather: the “topology”, of time – is it linear or does it have the structure of a cycle? This leads me to bring up one of the newest concepts in cyclic cosmology – the Ekpyrotic Model. After reconstructing the model and giving a summary of the scenario of how the Universe develops in the Ekpyrotic model, I attempt to criticise it from a philosophical perspective. I make several claims regarding some epistemological and methodological issues. In connection with the Ekpyrotic Model, I discuss problems with underdetermination, theory choice and mathematical simplicity.