Atheism Quote by Colin Howson
““One of the recent arguments from design, that based on the so-called fine-tuning life of some fundamental physical constants, founders on the following objections: an extremely small prior probability merited by the God of theism in light – if that is the right word – of the Problem of Evil; the fact that it is not unreasonable to place a substantial probability on the hypothesis that a future theory will fix those values; and the sheer incoherence of computations of the ‘chances’ of fine-tuning were there no fine-tuner.””
About This Quote
Source Article: Fine‑Tuning and the Problem of Evil, 2005
Fine‑tuning arguments face objections: low prior probability for a deity, possible future theories adjusting constants, and incoherent probability calculations without a tuner.
In simple terms: Fine‑tuning arguments have several serious objections.
Key Takeaway
Consider the limits of fine‑tuning reasoning.
Themes
philosophy
science
theology
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
academic
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- public policy
- education curricula
Key Concepts
probability theory
cosmology
anthropic principle
Questions to Reflect On
- How convincing are these objections?
- What alternative explanations exist?
A Different Perspective
Objections may not fully address all aspects of the debate.
![“I am no friend of probability theory, I have hated it from the first moment when our dear friend Max Born gave it birth. For it could be seen how easy and simple it made everything, in principle, everything ironed and the true problems concealed. Everybody must jump on the bandwagon [Ausweg]. And…” quote by Erwin Schrödinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/734/erwin-schrodinger-8450_born_i-am-no-friend-of-probability-theory-i-h_434486.jpg)
