MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Re: Is the weak anthropic principle a tautology?

Date: Fri Jan 7 10:36:56 2000
Posted By: Lew Gramer, MIT S.B. Math (Theoretical)
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 945882634.As
Message:

Ernest, my take on the weak principle is that it states merely an observation rather than a conclusion, namely: We are here, and therefore, the Universe's age and physical constants are such as to allow us to exist. There's nothing controversial in this interpretation, nor is it a tautology strictly speaking. (After all, we assume only that we do exist, which is not a statement which we are attempting to prove.)

The strong anthropic principle, and its more arrogant cousin the super or "final" anthropic principle, are another matter... The SAP proposes that a Universe must exist which can bring life into existence: either

  1. Observers are necessary to bring any Universe into existence (this is based on the idea that we must "collapse the quantum wave function" of the Universe in order to make it exist as anything other than probability function); or

  2. All possible Universes must exist, and therefore those which bring forth life must exist as well (or alternatively, that if any Universes exist at all, then the ensemble of all Universes which exist must include one that will bring forth life).

These two statements are subject to much questioning, and I consider them highly debatable at best. Depending on how they are argued, they may certainly be the subject of some circular reasoning! But I do not believe that either statement is in itself "always true." So again my interpretation of the Principles is that they aren't true tautologies.

Well, you asked a question on a fairly open-ended topic, and one that I doubt any scientist (amateur or otherwise) is really expert in: it seems still rooted in that ancient, amorphous area of human knowledge known as "philosophy." But I did my best to answer! I hope it helps.


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