Thesis: Cosmology often frames the universe with implicit eschatology, echoing theological concerns with origins and ends rather than focusing on relational processes and emergent dynamics.
Observation: From the Big Bang to heat death scenarios or “final theories,” physics regularly invokes narratives of a definite beginning and a definitive end. Terms like “initial conditions,” “cosmic destiny,” or “ultimate fate” carry metaphoric weight, suggesting that the cosmos has a teleological arc reminiscent of creation and apocalypse.
Analysis: This narrative mirrors theological thought: the universe is conceived as a story with a God-like beginning and a closure in the far future. Relational actualisation — the ongoing interplay of potential and actual in time — is obscured. Physics, in emphasizing endpoints, often forecloses the ontological openness inherent in processes themselves, projecting a temporal hierarchy where none is necessary.
Implication: By framing cosmology in terms of beginnings and ends, physics imports eschatological thinking that distorts the understanding of emergent processes. It shifts focus from contingent, ongoing relational dynamics to preordained temporal milestones, reinforcing a theology-like narrative structure.
Conclusion: A relational ontology reframes cosmology as continuous unfolding, where potential actualises through perspectival cuts, and “beginnings” or “ends” are features of models, not cosmic mandates. Recognising eschatological residue allows a shift from destiny-bound narratives to processual openness.
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