From Cosmology to Cosmonomy

TL;DR

The paper discusses the evolution of cosmology into a precise, law-based science driven by extensive data and theoretical frameworks, advocating for a conceptual shift to 'cosmonomy' akin to the historical move from astrology to astronomy.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of 'cosmonomy' as a new paradigm, emphasizing the scientific rigor and systematic empirical approach in modern cosmology.

Findings

Cosmology now relies on high-precision observational data.

A robust theoretical framework based on general relativity underpins modern cosmology.

The shift to 'cosmonomy' represents a conceptual evolution in understanding the universe.

Abstract

For most of its history, cosmology was a qualitatively constrained discourse on the universe, shaped by limited observational access and the absence of global dynamical laws. This situation has changed decisively in recent decades. Modern cosmology is now driven by an unprecedented flow of high-precision data from a wide range of independent probes, including the cosmic microwave background, large-scale structure, supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, gravitational lensing, cosmic chronometers, redshift-space distortions, gravitational-wave standard sirens, and emerging 21-cm observations, among others. This observational wealth is matched by a concrete theoretical and mathematical framework, based on general relativity, which provides the dynamical equations governing the evolution of spacetime and matter at cosmic scales. Combined with explicit background and perturbative equations, this framework enables quantitative, predictive, and falsifiable descriptions of cosmic evolution. Thus, cosmology operates today as a nomological natural science of the observable universe, characterized by general laws, predictive power, and systematic empirical testing. We argue that this epistemic transformation motivates a corresponding conceptual shift, directly analogous to the historical transition from astrology to astronomy. In this sense, the transition from cosmology to \emph{cosmonomy} should begin to be discussed among cosmologists, or, more precisely, among cosmonomers.