The Trouble with "Puddle Thinking": A User's Guide to the Anthropic Principle
History and Philosophy of Physics
2021-04-09 v1 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Abstract
Are some cosmologists trying to return human beings to the centre of the cosmos? In the view of some critics, the so-called "anthropic principle" is a desperate attempt to salvage a scrap of dignity for our species after a few centuries of demotion at the hands of science. It is all things archaic and backwards - teleology, theology, religion, anthropocentrism - trying to sneak back in scientific camouflage. We argue that this is a mistake. The anthropic principle is not mere human arrogance, nor is it religion in disguise. It is a necessary part of the science of the universe.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2104.03381,
title = {The Trouble with "Puddle Thinking": A User's Guide to the Anthropic Principle},
author = {Geraint F. Lewis and Luke A. Barnes},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2104.03381},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
Six page, accepted for publication in the Proceedings and Journal of the Royal Society of NSW (Vol. 154, No. 1, June 2021, with URL to follow)