Quote:Let me answer it by arguing against the fine tuned universe argument. The argument states that the fact that the universe is finely tuned for life proves the existence of a creator. The flaw in that argument is that the universe is not, in fact, finely tuned for life. In fact, the vast bulk of the universe is completely hostile to all forms of life.
The argument doesn't state the universe need be jam packed with life. And it's not really an argument, it is a fact that certain conditions in characteristics of the universe must be true for life as we know it to exist. Secondly no one knows just how much other life there is. We do know there are other planets circling around stars.
Quote:Not exactly. The notion that there are "mindless forces that didn't intend us or the universe to exist" is an erroneous assumption since it assumes that there was some other intent, some other morality to nature other than what science perceives through emperic reasoning and observation.
Huh?
Quote:First of all, there is no such thing as an atheist worldview. For example, I may happen to believe that some time in future, scientists would invent a time machine and figure out which points in the past they need to send it to in order to have the universe and humanity exist in its current state. With this belief, I'd still be an atheist while believing that the existence of humanity and the universe was very much intentional.
If that were so, theism would be closer to the truth than atheism because we'd owe our existence to intelligent causes.
Quote:That being said, I believe that our current state is the result of mechanistic forces. I don't use the words "mindless" and "without intent" because I don't start with the presumption of consciousness. Therefore, "mindful and intentional" would be the non-default position for me that would require explicit explanation.
Mechanistic: Of or relating to theories that explain phenomena in purely physical or deterministic terms.
Determined by physical processes alone.
You may not use the word mindless forces without intent but that is what mechanistic means.
Quote:So, what is this "significant philosophical impact" that you are talking about?
There is a huge philosophical difference between believing the universe was created and designed for human inhabitance and believing that humans are the unintended consequences of mechanistic forces that didn't care whether we existed or not. In the former case humans are elevated to a special status, in the latter case humans are no more significant than anything else that was unintentionally created. We have seen this difference in the human rights of countries that hold to some form of theism and ones that don't.
