Book contents
- The Cosmic Microwave Background
- The Cosmic Microwave Background
- Copyright page
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Physical cosmology: A brief introduction
- Part II Discovery of the CMB and current cosmological orthodoxy
- Part III What constitutes an unorthodoxy? An epistemological framework of cosmology
- Part IV Moderate unorthodoxies: The CMB with the Big Bang
- Part V Radical unorthodoxies: The CMB without the Big Bang
- Part VI Formation of the orthodoxy and the alternatives: Epistemological lessons
- 24 History and epistemology
- 25 What about the alternatives?
- 26 Pragmatic aspects of model building and social epistemology of cosmology
- 27 Large-scale numerical simulations in cosmology
- Part VII Other philosophically relevant aspects of the CMB
- Book part
- Notes
- References
- Index
25 - What about the alternatives?
from Part VI - Formation of the orthodoxy and the alternatives: Epistemological lessons
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 July 2024
- The Cosmic Microwave Background
- The Cosmic Microwave Background
- Copyright page
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Physical cosmology: A brief introduction
- Part II Discovery of the CMB and current cosmological orthodoxy
- Part III What constitutes an unorthodoxy? An epistemological framework of cosmology
- Part IV Moderate unorthodoxies: The CMB with the Big Bang
- Part V Radical unorthodoxies: The CMB without the Big Bang
- Part VI Formation of the orthodoxy and the alternatives: Epistemological lessons
- 24 History and epistemology
- 25 What about the alternatives?
- 26 Pragmatic aspects of model building and social epistemology of cosmology
- 27 Large-scale numerical simulations in cosmology
- Part VII Other philosophically relevant aspects of the CMB
- Book part
- Notes
- References
- Index
Summary
The chapter draws some epistemic lessons from forgotten alternatives, theoretical conjectures that led to them, observational refutations, and the roles they played in building orthodox consensus. Most alternatives have never been fully developed, and some examples suggest that the potential for their improvement should not be underestimated. Moreover, viable alternatives and criticisms in cosmology can arrive piecemeal, not necessarily as fully worked out models. Finally, less apparent general theoretical assumptions may always lurk in the background of any model, a reflection on which may improve it or lead to a new one. Features of old models can once again become attractive, as the field interrelates various observations and theoretical presuppositions. The chapter offers some examples of this. It then ranks the alternative explanations in terms of plausibility, persuasiveness, and possible fruitfulness of some of their features.
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- Information
- The Cosmic Microwave BackgroundHistorical and Philosophical Lessons, pp. 138 - 143Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024