The origins of scientific cosmology

a Lakatosian rational reconstruction

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53727/rbhc.v17i1.947

Keywords:

cosmology , Lakatos , Einstein , Friedmann and Lemaître , universe

Abstract

The present article fits into an existing tradition of case studies on the epistemology of Imre Lakatos. Its objective is to describe a rational reconstruction of scientific cosmology, whose scientific status was consolidated after the first half of the 20th century, in a combination of theoretical and empirical works. Lakatosian criteria do not allow us to classify the conception of the Universe formulated by Albert Einstein as a Research Program. We can classify it, however, as an attempt at a program, which will be largely recovered by the contributions of Friedman, Lemaître and Hubble. We argue throughout this essay that 20th century cosmology can be described in terms of the conception of the Friedman-Lemaître Research Program, since we identify in both contributions the presence of the same core of fundamental theses and axioms, which will be preserved in later works, such as the big bang model and the steady state model.

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Recebido em outubro de 2023

Aceito em novembro de 2023

Published

2024-07-22

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Articles