Abstract
Science provides partial explanations for the place of observers in the universe and the process by which the conception of the cosmos is obtained. But it uses two irreconcilable paradigms: one based on a machine-view of the material world, and the other postulating freedom and agency for the observer. These paradigms lead to problems such as why is it that the brain-machine has awareness whereas the computer does not, or what is the basis of the information paradox related to the increase in the information in the universe since the Big Bang. Recent ideas on “consciousness science” as an approach complementing that of astronomy are presented. It is shown how the astronomy of its times and specific ideas on the nature of the mind led to certain cosmological ideas of ancient India. The central role played by cosmology, relating both to the outer and the inner reality, in defining the world-view of a culture is examined. A summary of the larger issues confronting astronomy and cosmology in the contemporary world is presented.
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Kak, S. (2011). Observers, Freedom, and the Cosmos. In: Tymieniecka, AT., Grandpierre, A. (eds) Astronomy and Civilization in the New Enlightenment. Analecta Husserliana, vol 107. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9748-4_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9748-4_4
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