How multiverses might undercut the fine-tuning argument
In the context of the probabilistic fine-tuning argument that moves from the fragility of cosmological parameters with respect to life to the existence of a divine designer, appealing to the existence of a multiverse has in general seemed problematically ad hoc. The situation looks rather different, though, if there is independent evidence from physics for a multiverse. I will argue that independently-motivated multiverses can be undercutting defeaters for the fine-tuning argument; but whether the argument is indeed undercut still depends on open questions in fundamental physics and cosmology. I will also argue that Everettian quantum mechanics opens up new routes to undercutting the fine-tuning argument, although by itself it is insufficient to do so.
Date:
9 February 2017, 16:30
Venue:
Radcliffe Humanities, Woodstock Road OX2 6GG
Venue Details:
Lecture Room, Second Floor
Speaker:
Alastair Wilson (University of Birmingham)
Organising department:
Faculty of Philosophy
Organiser:
Prof Harvey Brown (University of Oxford)
Part of:
Philosophy of Physics Seminar
Topics:
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Andy Davies
