module 2 Flashcards
cosmology
theories about the origin of the world, the creation of things
Monseigneur Georges Lemaitre 1931-1932
- first person to propose the theory of the expansion of the universe.
- Proposed what is now known as the big bang theory as the origin of the universe
- ‘hypothesis of the “primeval atom”
- “in the distant past (matter) was closer together, and that, if we go far enough back, we reach a time at which the entire universe was in an extremely compact and compressed state of matter.
- He spoke of “some instability being produced by radioactive decay of the primeval atom that was sufficient to cause an immense explosion that initiated the expansion of the universe.”
- the universe had expanded from an initial point, which he called the ‘primeval atom’ or ‘the Cosmic Egg,’ and exploded at the moment of the creation”
biblical creationism
the story of creation told in the Old Testament book of Genesis, first used by Charles Darwin 1856
evolutionism
order, stages, cycles of change, growth
adaptation
relations to the environment
metamorphoses
new forms, changes
chinese cosmology
- World Egg / Cosmic Egg: Hatching
- Duality
- Xu Zheng, 3rd c. BC: “woke up… and began creating the world: he separated Yin from Yang with a swing of his giant axe, creating Earth and the Sky…”
egyptian cosmology
- Earth, air, sky, “personification”
- Alignment, cooperation, interaction
- When envisioning the shape of the cosmos, the ancient Egyptians saw the earth as a flat expanse of land, personified by the god Geb, over which arched the sky goddess Nut. The two were separated by Shu, the god of air
norse cosmology
- Alignment, emphasis
- A cosmic ash tree, Yggdrasill, lies at the center of the Norse cosmos. “Three roots drink the waters of the home worlds, one in the home world of the gods, one in the home world of the giants, and one in the home world of the dead. Animals continually feed on the tree, threatening it, but its vitality persists evergreen as it heals and nourishes the vibrant aggression of life.”
native american cosmology
- alignment
- great turtle who carries the earth on its back
hindu cosmology
- alignment
- world turtles, world serpent, world elephants
greek cosmology
- alignment, cooperation, interaction
- heaven, earth, underworld
- heaven, air, earth, water, underworld
thales
believed water was the primary element, as it has the feature of floatingness which is what holds the universe together
humans float on the earth, soul floats within the human
anaximenes
believed air was the primary element, due to its nature of constant movement and change
dissolved -> fire
compressed -> water
condensed -> earth
most condensed -> stone
democritus
believed the universe was comprised of atoms and empty space, everything can be broken down until you reach those smallest, undividable particles, voids - empty space
