Paper Question 2 PHIL2534 F19 PDF

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PHIL 2534 F19

Roger White: Fine-tuning Argument For life to have any chance of occurring, the universe must meet certain extremely stringent conditions. To say that the universe is fine-tuned for life does not imply that there is a fine tuner. This argument states that the values of the physical constants in which nature operates fall in the narrow range that is required for life to exist. White considers that what makes a universe with life in need of an explanation is that it is both valuable and remarkable. Roger White’s Fine-Tuning Argument (FTA) goes as follows: 1 . -I faf a c tEs t a n d si nn e e do fe x p l a n a t i o n ,a n dh y p o t h e s i sHpr o v i d e sas a t i s f a c t or ye x p l a n a t i o no f Et ha ti sbe t t e rt h a na n ya l t e r n a t i v ee xp l a n a t i o na v a i l a b l e ,t h e nE p r o v i d e ss i g n i fic a nte v i d e n t i a l s u p p o r tf o rH 2 . -Th a to u ru n i v e r s ei sh o s p i t a b l et ol i f es t a n d sn e e d sa ne x p l a n a t i o n . 3 . -Th a tGo da d j u s t e dt h ec o n s t a n t si no r d e rt oa l l o wf o rl i f et od e v e l o pp r o vi d e sas a t i s f a c t o r y e xp l a n a t i o nf o rwh yo u ru n i v e r s ei sl i f e–p e r mi t t i n g . 4 . -Th e r ei snoc o mp a r a b l ys a t i s f y i n ge xp l a n a t i o no ft hi sf a c ta v a i l a b l e 5 . -Th e r e f o r e ,t h a tou run i v e r s ei sl i f e p e r mi t t i n gp r o vi d e ss i gn i fic a n te v i d e n t i a ls u p po r tf o rt h e i s m. Th i sa r g u me n tha sme ts o meo bj e c t i o n s ,f r om wh i c hIc o n s i d e rt hemu l t i v e r s eh y po t h e s i st o b et h eb e s t .Th emu l t i v e r s eh y p ot h e s i sp r o p os e st h a tt h ec o n s t a n t sonwh i c hl i f ed e p e n d sma yv a r y r a n d o ml ya mo n gt h eun i v e r s e s ;a n do ur si so nea mo n g s tt h o s e .Gi v e nal a r g en u mb e rofun i v e r s e s , i two u l dn o tb ei l l o g i c a lt oe x p e c tt ha ta tl e a s ton eu n i v e r s ewi t hl i f eo ni ta r i s e s .Th i sh y po t h e s i s i n t e n d st odi r e c t l yc o u n t e r a c tp r e mi s e s2&4ofFTA.Re g a r d i n gt h es e c o n dp r e mi s e ,t h emu l t i v e r s e h y p o t h e s i sc o u l dma k eu squ e s t i o nwhe t h e rou ru n i v e r s ei sa c t u a l l yr e ma r k a b l e .Af t e ra l l ,i tc o u l d j u s tbeo n ea mon g s tma n ya n dn o ts t a n di nn e e do fa ne x p l a n a t i o n .Th emu l t i v e r s eh y p o t h e s i sc o u l d o v e r r u l et h ef o u r t hpr e mi s eb ye mp l o y i n gOc k h a m’ sr a z o r .Th emu l t i v e r s e

PHIL 2534 F19 h y p o t h e s i sd e a l swi t hmo r ec o mp o ne n t s( s e v e r a lu n i v e r s e s )b u ta l lo ft h e s ec o mp o n e nt s a r eo ft he s a meki n d ,s i mi l a r .I fy o ua r en otc ommi t t e dt ot hee xi s t e n c eo fGo d,t h e nt hei de ao famu l t i v e r s e i se a s i e rt ob e l i e v ea san o n t h e i s t .Wea r ea l la l r e a d yc o mmi t t e dt ot h ee x i s t e n c eo ft heu n i v e r s e ; t h e r e f o r e ,i td o e sn o ta p p e a rt ob eabi gd e a lt oj u s tp i c t u r eadi ffe r e n tn u mb e ro fmo r eu n i v e r s e s . Do i n gt h i swo u l db ep i c t u r i n gmo r et h i n g ss i mi l a rt os o me t h i n gwea l r e a d ya ffir me x i s t s .Al lt h e u n i v e r s e sa r eo ft h es a meb a s i ck i n di nd i ffe r e n c et oGo d , wh oi sab e i n go fad i ffe r e ntki n d . It hi n kt h a tRo g e rWh i t ep r o v i d e sa na d e q u a t er e p l yt ot h i so b j e c t i o n.Ic o n s i d e r ,j u s ta s Whi t e ,t h a tt h emu l t i v e r s eh y po t h e s i sd oe sn otc ou nta sa ne x pl a na t i onf o rl i f e .Th emu l t i v e r s e h y p o t h e s i sc a nn o ta c c o u n tf ort h ee x i s t e n c eo fl i f ei nou ru n i v e r s e ,a sc ommi t t i n gt oi ti mp l i e st h a t t h e r ei sn oa c t u a ln e e df o ra ne x pl a n a t i o n .Th ee x i s t e n c eo famul t i v e r s er e mo v e st h en e e dt o e x p l a i nt h efine t u n i n go fo u ru n i v e r s e .I ft h e r ei sa ni n fin i t en u mb e ro ffin e t u n e du n i v e r s e s ,wh y c a n ’ to ur ss i mp l yb eo n eo ft ho s e ?I two u l db ee xp e c t e df o ro u ru n i v e r s et ob efine t u n e dj u s tl i k e ma n yo t h e run i v e r s e s . Sa y i n gt h a tt h e r ea r ema n yo t h e ru n i v e r s e so utt h e r ema k e si tn omo r el i k e l yt h a to u r u n i v e r s ewi l lb efin e t u n e df o rl i f e .Le t ’ st h i n ko ft hi sv e r ys i mpl ea ndf un n ys c e n a r i o :Th ey o u n g e s t o faf a mi l yo f1 4c hi l d r e na p p r o a c h e sh i smo ma n da s k she r“ Mo mmy ,wh yd i dy o ua n dd a dh a d me ? ”t h emot h e rt he nr e pl i e s“We l l ,a sy o uc a ns e es ont he r ei sal o to fo u rc hi l d r e no utt h e r e ” . Thi swou l dn o ta ns we rt h a tki d ’ sq u e s t i o n ,h ewo u l db el e f tf r u s t r a t e da nds t i l lwi t h o u tkn o wi n g wh yh ewa sb r o u gh ta b o u ti n t ot h i swo r l d .Th ea n s we rt ot heq u e s t i o n :“ Wh yi st h e r el i f ei no u r u n i v e r s e ? ”c a n ’ tb e“ Be c a u s et h e r ea r eal o to fo t h e run i v e r s e so u tt h e r e ” ,t h i sd o e sn o ta n s we rt h e q ue s t i o na ta l l .The s eo t h e ru n i v e r s e sh a v en or e a lbe a r i n gonwh a tg o e soni nt h eu n i v e r s et h a twe s e e . Ad d i t i on a l l y ,wec a n ’ td i s mi s sho ws pe c ul a t i v et h emu l t i v e r s eh y p o t h e s i si s .Themu l t i v e r s e h y p o t h e s i si same t a p h y s i c a lki n do fh y p o t h e s i s .I nmod e r np h i l o s o p h y ,me t a p h y s i c sd e a l swi t h wh a tc a nn o tb er e a c h e dt h r o u gho b j e c t i v es t u d i e sofma t e r i a lr e a l i t y .Wh e nIme nt i o n e dt h i si si n c l a s s ,ac l a s s ma t eo fmi nes a i dt ha tt he“ ma t hd o neb yme t a p h y s i cs t u d i e ss u p po r t st h e

PHIL 2534 F19 i d e ao famu l t i v e r s e ” .Th efir s tt hi n gIt h o u g h ta f t e rt ha twa st h a tt h a tma t hi sd o neu n d e rt h e a s s u mpt i o nt h a tamu l t i v e r s ee x i s t s ,e v e nt h o u g ht he r ei snoe mpi r i c a le v i d e nc et os u p po r ti td oe s . Sc i e n t i s tEt h a nSi e g e ls h a r e smyp o i n to fv i e wo nt h i ss u b j e c t .I nh i sa r t i c l e“ Ye s ,Th eMu l t i v e r s eI s Re a l ,Bu tI tWo n ’ tFi xPh y s i c s ”h ec o n s i d e r st h a ti fwet h i n kt h a tc o s mi ci n fla t i o n ,g e n e r a lr e l a t i vi t y a ndq u a n t u mfie l dt he o r ya r ea l lc or r e c tt h e namu l t i v e r s ei sl i k e l yr e a l ;i nf a c t , wea r e l i vi n gi ni t .Bu tt h i swi l ln o ta ns we ro u rq u e s t i o nsa b o u tt h eu n i v e r s e ,a sf o rt h a twewo ul dn e e d p h y s i c s( a s s u mi n game t h o d o l o g i c a l& me t a p h y s i c a lna t u r a l i s tp os i t i o n ) .Wewo u l dn e e dt ob ea b l e t oa c t u a l l yp u ta l lo ft h e s et h e or i e st oas e r i e sofe x p e r i me n t a la n do b s e r v a b l et e s t s .Cu r r e n t l y ,we a r eno ta b l et od ot h i s …t he r e f o r et hemu l t i v e r s ewi l lr e ma i ni n“ t h er e a l mo fs c i e n c efic t i on ”un t i l wea r ea b l es u p p o r ti t se x i s t e n c eb ye mpi r i c a lt e s t i n g .

No w,Ia mq u i t ea wa r et h a tt h e r ei sn oe mp i r i c a le v i d e n c et os u pp o r tt h ee x i s t e n c eo fGo d e i t h e r ,b u tt h i si swh e nwec a na s ko ur s e l v e s :Un de rwh i c he x p l a n a t i o nd o e st h ee x i s t e n c eo fa u n i v e r s e fin e t u n e df o rl i f e ma k e ss e n s e ?Ap p e a l i ng t o a mu l t i v e r s e ,l e a v e sa ne x p l a n a t o r y r e ma i n d e r .Ass t a t e db e f o r e ,t h i sh y p o t he s i swo u l de i t h e rd e n yt hen e e df o ra ne x p l a n a t i o nt ot h e fin e t u n i n go ft h eu n i v e r s eo rs i mp l yn o ta n s we rt h equ e s t i o na ta l l .Wea l s oc a n ’ ti g n o r et h a tu n d e r t h emu l t i v e r s eh y po t h e s i s ,t h e r ei sn or e a lr e a s o nf o rl i f et ob ebr o u g hta bo u ta ta l l .Wh yc a n ’ ta l l t h eun i v e r s e sj u s tno tb efin e t u n e df o rl i f ea ta l l ?Wh yi st h e r eap o s s i bi l i t yf o ra n yo ft h e mt ob e fin e dt u n e da ta l l ?Li f ei sn o tr e a l l ye x p e c t e dt ob eb r o u g h ta bo u tj u s tb yt h ef a c tt h a tt he r ea r e mu l t i p l eu n i v e r s e s . Ont h eot h e rh a n d , b ya p p e a l i n gt oGo d ,wec a ns a yt h a tt h es t r u c t ur e dl a wsa n d p h y s i c a lc o n s t a nt sn a t ur ed i s p l a y st oma k el i f ep o s s i b l e ;c o mef r o m ar a t i on a l ,pu r p o s e f u lb e i n g wh oi sb i a s e dt o wa r d st h ec r e a t i o no fl i f e .

PHIL 2534 F19

Re f e r e n c e s : “ Gl o s s a r y

De fin i t i o n :

Me t a p h y s i c a l . ”

PBS,

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Se r v i c e ,

h t t p s : / / www. p b s . o r g / f a i t h a n d r e a s o n / g e n g l os s / me t a p h b od y . h t ml .

Whi t e ,Ro ge r ." Th ea r g u me ntf r om c o s mo l o gi c a lfin e t u n i n g . " Th e No r t o ni n t r o d u c t i o nt o p h i l os op h y( 2 0 15 ) :4 3 5 0 .

Si e g e l ,Et ha n .“ Ye s ,Th eMul t i v e r s eI sRe a l ,Bu tI tWo n ' tFi xPh y s i c s . ”Fo r be s ,2 8J a n .2 0 18 , h t t p s : / / www. f o r b e s . c o m/ s i t e s / s t a r t s wi t h a b a n g / 2 0 1 8 / 01 / 2 5 / y e s t h e mu l t i v e r s e i s r e a l bu t i t wo n t fix p h y s i c s / # 4 9 3 e c a 0 23 3 a 6....