Thesis: Cosmological models often evoke the theological notion of creation ex nihilo, treating the universe’s origin as a singular, miraculous act rather than a relational unfolding.
Observation: The Big Bang is framed as a “beginning of everything,” emerging from a singularity with no prior conditions. Popular accounts and some scientific discourse describe it in language reminiscent of divine creation: from nothing, all existence suddenly appears, setting the stage for the cosmos.
Analysis: This framing imports a theological narrative into physics. The singularity functions as a secularised God, an ontological placeholder for ultimate origin. Relational processes preceding or surrounding the event are elided, and the universe is represented as if its being depends on a miraculous initiation, not on contingent, interdependent dynamics.
Implication: By conceptualising the universe’s origin as an ex nihilo event, physics imports a metaphysical crutch. The actualisation of potential in the cosmos is masked, and the relational, processual nature of reality is subordinated to a “first cause” narrative. This encourages ontological amnesia, making us forget that laws, constants, and processes themselves emerge from patterns of relation.
Conclusion: A relational reading reframes cosmogenesis as the unfolding of potential across interdependent processes. Recognising the theological residue of ex nihilo creation allows physics to shift focus from miraculous beginnings to contingent, relational emergence.
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