Space always seems to be something distant and unknown. Is it so? What exactly is the lexical meaning of the word "cosmos"? How did this concept develop and develop at different times?
The lexical meaning of the word
Cosmos is a word that came to us from the Greek language, where it means "order, order, peace". It came to the Russian language with some transformation of meaning. The explanatory meaning of the word "cosmos" in the dictionaries of Ozhegov and Dahl is indicated as "world", "universe", but it is interpreted rather as space outside the earth's atmosphere.
This term was coined in Ancient Greece. It has become a part of culture and philosophy, meaning the harmony and orderliness of the world. Relates to the universe, the divine principle. However, even then people were interested in astronomy and the study of celestial bodies, so many scientists identified the cosmos with the Universe (in the modern sense).
For a long time, philosophical and scientific concepts were practically not distinguished. The cosmos was represented as a single organism with soul and mind, and man- a part of it. At the same time, scientists figured out the trajectories of the planets, discovered stars and galaxies. This was also the case in the Middle Ages. True, the two concepts are increasingly moving away from each other.
In our time, the lexical meaning of the word "cosmos" often has a scientific meaning and means the territory outside the Earth and its atmosphere. In this understanding, the term "outer space" is often used.
Space: the meaning of the word in philosophy
The palm in determining the meaning of the word should be given to astronomical science. But the second meaning of this term is still preserved as a philosophical category. It is also a basic concept in metaphysics and is represented as an integral structure that has certain properties.
Philosophy considers the main characteristics of the Cosmos to be formalized and distinguished components, a clear hierarchy of components, and dynamism. It is assumed that it has logic, coherence and regularity. This, in turn, leads to harmony and aesthetic perfection.
Space is identified with order, rationality, which means it is predictable. It can be predicted and even simulated. It is opposed by Chaos, which represents a destructive, uncontrollable force.
Outer space
The modern lexical meaning of the word "cosmos" primarily means interstellar space, which does not include the territory of our planet. The term is also used inphrases "near space" and "deep space". The first represents the space that a person explores, the second refers to a more distant territory - stars and galaxies.
The division into near and far space appeared in the second half of the 20th century, when the United States and the Soviet Union were actively exploring outer space. Then great successes were made in the study of the moon, the first artificial satellites were created. For the first time, a man found himself in interstellar space, for the first time he landed on a natural satellite of the Earth.
Mythology and religion
Mythopoetic creativity also affects the concept of the cosmos. Here, along with ancient philosophical ideas, it is associated with the universe. Myths that tell about the creation of the world are called cosmogonic.
Most of them report a single ocean from which all life is born. Among some peoples, for example among the Scandinavians, the cosmos is born out of chaos. That is, from the universal disorder, world order and harmony arise.
However, creating a world order is not all. They need to be managed somehow. Therefore, in many ancient ideas, a deity is in charge of the cosmos. In Greek mythology, this role was played by Zeus. Now mythological motifs have grown into religion. But the essence remains - the great divine principle controls the world order and harmony.
