---
title: "1 Anthropic principle Quotes By John Polkinghorne"
description: "1 Anthropic principle quotes by John Polkinghorne. Plus more from John Polkinghorne and more Anthropic principle sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/john-polkinghorne-14266_anthropic-principle_when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature_1555146.png"
---

> [When you realize that the laws of nature must be incredibly finely tuned to produce the universe we see, that conspires to plant the idea that the universe did not just happen, but that there must be a purpose behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature-must-be-incredibly-finely/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/john-polkinghorne-14266_anthropic-principle_when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature_1555146.png)

## More by John Polkinghorne

> [It is the faithfulness of God that allows epistemology to model ontology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/it-is-the-faithfulness-of-god-that-allows-epistemology-to-model/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [However, as the Eastern churches have always maintained, through Christ creation is intended eventually to share in the life of God, the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/however-as-the-eastern-churches-have-always-maintained-through-christ/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [I think it's very important to maintain the classical Christian distinction between the Creator and creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/i-think-it-s-very-important-to-maintain-the-classical-christian/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [Science cannot tell theology how to construct a doctrine of creation, but you can't construct a doctrine of creation without taking account of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/science-cannot-tell-theology-how-to-construct-a-doctrine-of-creation/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [I'm a very passionate believer in the unity of knowledge. There is one world of reality - one world of our experience that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/i-m-a-very-passionate-believer-in-the-unity-of-knowledge-there-is-one/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [Well, it's because I gladly acknowledge some ideas that are part of process theology, but which I think are not tied to all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/well-it-s-because-i-gladly-acknowledge-some-ideas-that-are-part-of/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [“The doctrine of creation of the kind that the Abrahamic faiths profess is such that it encourages the expectation that there will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/the-doctrine-of-creation-of-the-kind-that-the-abrahamic-faiths/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [If the experience of science teaches anything, it's that the world is very strange and surprising. The many revolutions in science have certainly shown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/if-the-experience-of-science-teaches-anything-it-s-that-the-world-is/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [Science and religion...are friends, not foes, in the common quest for knowledge. Some people may find this surprising, for there's a feeling throughout our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/science-and-religion-are-friends-not-foes-in-the-common-quest-for/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [I very much enjoyed my career in science. I didn't leave science because I was disillusioned, but felt I'd done my bit for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/i-very-much-enjoyed-my-career-in-science-i-didn-t-leave-science/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [“scientific discovery requires the boldness of provisional commitment to a point of view, while remaining aware that this may require subsequent modification in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/scientific-discovery-requires-the-boldness-of-provisional-commitment/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [“In the scientific community, the adjective ‘theological’ is some- times used pejoratively to refer to a vague or ill-formulated belief. I believe this usage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/in-the-scientific-community-the-adjective-theological-is-some-times/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [The physical fabric of the world had to be such as to enable that ten billion year preliminary evolution to produce the raw materials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/the-physical-fabric-of-the-world-had-to-be-such-as-to-enable-that-ten/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [“Claims for the occurrence of miraculous events will have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. There can be no general theory to cover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/claims-for-the-occurrence-of-miraculous-events-will-have-to-be/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

> [“the strangely elusive and counterintuitive character of the quantum world has encouraged some to suggest that the idea of entities like electrons which can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/the-strangely-elusive-and-counterintuitive-character-of-the-quantum/)

[John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/john-polkinghorne/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Anthropic principle Quotes By John Polkinghorne",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "When you realize that the laws of nature must be incredibly finely tuned to produce the universe we see, that conspires to plant the idea that the universe did not just happen, but that there must be a purpose behind it.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "John Polkinghorne"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature-must-be-incredibly-finely/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/john-polkinghorne-14266_anthropic-principle_when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature_1555146.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/john-polkinghorne-14266_anthropic-principle_when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature_1555146.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/john-polkinghorne-14266_anthropic-principle_when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature_1555146.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“When you realize that the laws of nature must be incredibly finely tuned to produce the universe we see…” — John Polkinghorne",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/john-polkinghorne/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/john-polkinghorne/",
            "name": "Anthropic principle Quotes by John Polkinghorne",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/john-polkinghorne/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/john-polkinghorne-14266_anthropic-principle_when-you-realize-that-the-laws-of-nature_1555146.png"
            },
            "description": "1 Anthropic principle quotes by John Polkinghorne. Plus more from John Polkinghorne and more Anthropic principle sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/john-polkinghorne/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/john-polkinghorne/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Anthropic Principle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "John Polkinghorne",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropic-principle/john-polkinghorne/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
