12 Design Arguments: An Analysis | (MoR No. 93)

From the complexity of the biological world to the fine-tuning of the universe, design arguments are among the most powerful arguments for God's existence. In this video, I assess 12 such arguments.

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NOTES

(1) There are several responses to fine-tuning arguments (FTAs) that I didn't mention in the video. The reason is because I simply haven't researched them in enough depth to have a strong view on them. For instance: (a) some philosophers mount the multiverse hypothesis in response to FTAs; (b) some philosophers and scientists question whether there even is fine-tuning; (c) some philosophers and scientists argue that FTAs suffer from the problem of non-normalizable probability measures; and (d) some philosophers and scientists argue that FTAs suffer from the the problem of old evidence. I haven't adequately researched these to have views on them. (My research focus lies more in cosmological and ontological arguments -- sorry!)

(2) Philip Goff has recently argued (in Scientific American and Capturing Christianity) that the multiverse objection to the FTA commits the inverse gamblers fallacy. I don't think this is correct for several of the reasons spelled out in philosopher Neil Manson's recent Philosophy Compass article on the multiverse, FTA, and the inverse gambler's fallacy [here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KWsP... ]. James Fodor also discusses Goff's criticism in a recent video [here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQxCZ... ].

More generally, I highly recommend Neil Manson's work criticizing the FTA. You can find his papers at https://philpeople.org/profiles/neil-...

(3) I don't think the objection to FTAs appealing simply to the observation selection effect works. This is why I didn't discuss this objection in the video.

(4) A perceptive viewer of my original video raised an objection (in personal correspondence) to my/Manson's criticism of FTAs concerning the near-infinitude of ways God could actualize the good of conscious, moral beings without a finely