How not to be generous to fine-tuning sceptics
The fine-tuning argument for the existence of God requires that the probability that the universe is life-permitting if God exists is not nearly as low as the probability that the universe is life-permitting if God does not exist. Recently, some proponents of the fine-tuning argument have reasoned a...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
[2020]
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In: |
Religious studies
Year: 2020, Volume: 56, Issue: 3, Pages: 303-317 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Cosmology
/ Intelligent design
/ Proof of God's existence
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RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism NBC Doctrine of God NBD Doctrine of Creation |
Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
Summary: | The fine-tuning argument for the existence of God requires that the probability that the universe is life-permitting if God exists is not nearly as low as the probability that the universe is life-permitting if God does not exist. Recently, some proponents of the fine-tuning argument have reasoned as follows. ‘Stipulate that the probability that there exists a life-permitting universe if God exists is one in a billion. Only the most hardened sceptic would refuse odds like that, right? So one in a billion is more than just fair to those sceptical of the fine-tuning argument. It is generous. Even on that generous assumption, the fine-tuning argument is very strong.’ This article explains why the assumption is not, in fact, generous. |
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ISSN: | 1469-901X |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Religious studies
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0034412518000586 |