Thesis: The anthropic principle and fine-tuning arguments in cosmology often echo theological reasoning, framing the universe as if calibrated for life rather than emergent from relational processes.
Observation: Cosmologists frequently note that certain constants and parameters lie within narrow ranges compatible with life. Explanations sometimes appeal to the improbability of these values, implying that the universe is “designed” to support observers, or that a multiverse is invoked to account for the apparent precision.
Analysis: This reasoning mirrors a theological logic: the cosmos appears intentional, structured for a specific purpose, even if formal law replaces God as the agent. Relational dynamics — how constants, symmetries, and interactions co-emerge — are downplayed in favor of a narrative of preordained calibration. Fine-tuning functions as a secularised teleology, projecting purpose onto contingent relations.
Implication: By framing fine-tuning as design, physics subtly reinstates metaphysical intentionality. Potentialities are overshadowed by the appearance of predestination, and relational actualisation becomes subordinate to anthropocentric narrative. This reinforces the theological shadow already present in laws, matter, and cosmogenesis.
Conclusion: A relational perspective treats fine-tuning not as evidence of design but as an emergent property of interacting processes. Recognising the theological residue in fine-tuning arguments allows physics to reclaim contingency, emergence, and perspectival potential, grounding explanation in relation rather than teleology.
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