Has Cosmology Advanced in Recent Years ?

Abstract

Starting with Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (1915) and the ever growing accumulation of astronomical data from land based and orbiting telescopes, our understanding of the universe has vastly advanced. Yet the fundamental philosophical questions of cosmology remain unanswered, Are space and time finite of infinite? Has the universe a beginning and an end? Is there a purpose, design of meaning in the scheme of things. (teleology)?

Recent observation of very remote galaxies into 12 billion tight years away, and the current estimate that the universe contains over 100 billion gataxies, each with many billions of stars, present us a picture impossible to visualize and reminds us of the limits of human cognitive power. Philosophy though not advancing in the sense of scientific cosmology, can here tay bare the source of the mystery and cure our disquiet reminding us of Wittgenstein'’s staternent about the therapeutic use of philasophy. Philasophy according to Wittgenstein is wholly distinet from science, philosophy orily clarifies questions and does not contribute to the advance of a science like astronomy of cosmology.