2017/01/01 by Neil Sinhababu
Arts and Humanities · #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies
paper · doi:10.2307/44982126
openalex publication_date 2017/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Abstract I offer a new objection to the fine-tuning argument for God’s existence, which arises from the metaphysical possibility of alternative psychophysical laws that permit a wider range of physical entities to have minds. Section 1 presents the fine-tuning argument, according to which divine creation best explains why the physical constants permit intelligent life. Section 2 presents the objection that under sufficiently mind-friendly psychophysical laws, any physical constants permit intelligent life. Section 3 explains that proponents of the argument can’t deny the metaphysical possibility of such psychophysical laws because they must accept a non-physical God with a mind. Section 4 considers a version of the argument restricted to universes with actual psychophysical laws, and responds that there’s no reason God would favor such universes.