Cosmology and consciousness: toward an ontological interpretation of contemporary science
Proceedings of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts July 10, 2026 Boštjan Marko Turk
An interdisciplinary philosophical review argues that contemporary science does not require a strictly materialist view of reality. The Big Bang theory implies a temporal beginning that raises questions about causality and the origin of physical laws. Quantum theory and information-based approaches describe reality in increasingly abstract, mathematical terms, challenging classical materialism. The informational character of DNA and the hard problem of consciousness further question reductive physicalism. The paper critically evaluates epistemological assumptions underlying modern science and suggests that recent scientific insights support an expanded concept of reality that includes an immaterial order, calling for a framework integrating scientific findings with philosophical and metaphysical perspectives.