ON THE PROBLEM OF COSMOLOGY

Cosmology is discussed in a historical and philosophical context from the conceptual framework of Newton vis-A-vis Einstein's approach to co smology in general relativity. It is argued that there is a contradict ion within the Newtonian approach when it is based on all three of his laws of motion, as well as bis law of universal gravitation. For Newt on's third law of motion, implying a closed system at the outset, is s een to be an important precursor for Einstein's theory of general rela tivity in the problem of cosmology. Important conceptual differences a re Newton's ''action-at-a-distance '' concept and atomism, as well as the feature that gravitational forces can only be attractive. These ar e contrasted with Einstein's full use of the continuous field concept and holism, wherein forces propagate at a finite speed between the mat ter components of a closed system and generally entail both attractive and repulsive forces. The essay concludes with a discussion of the co ntemporary inflationary universe cosmology in the contexts of these co mpeting cosmological approaches.