  The place of an anthropic argument in the discrimination between various
cosmological models is to be reconsidered following the classic criticisms of
Paul C. W. Davies and Frank J. Tipler. Different versions of the anthropic
argument against cosmologies involving an infinite series of past events are
analyzed and applied to several instructive instances. This is not only of
historical significance but presents an important topic for the future of
cosmological research if some of the contemporary inflationary models,
particularly Linde's chaotic inflation, turn out to be correct. Cognitive
importance of the anthropic principle(s) to the issue of extraterrestrial
intelligent observers is reconsidered in this light and several related
problems facing cosmologies with past temporal infinities are also clearly
defined. This issue is not only a clear example of the epistemological
significance of the anthropic principle, but also has consequences for such
diverse topics as SETI studies, epistemological status of cosmological
concepts, theory of observation selection effects, and history of astronomy.
