The meaning of "design".
Our universe obeys elegant laws that permit living beings to evolve. This can suggest divine design. So can fine tuning of physical and cosmological parameters in ways that seem essential to life. Understanding the idea of design is, however, difficult for many reasons. For instance, could a designer be said to "fine tune" through choosing all-dictating laws very carefully? Again, would taking advantage of early quantum indeterminacies be a case of design, or would it be design-destroying interference? Can we speak of "design" if God is not a mind but an abstract Platonic principle? And what if, as Spinoza believed, the structure of our universe is just the structure of divine thinking? If such thinking extended to other universes which were lifeless, could those "exhibit design" simply through being orderly?
Leslie
J
J
Department of Philosophy, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. johnlesl@uoguelph.ca
D005075:Biological Evolution; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D049690:History, Ancient; D010825:Physics / Q000266:history; D028725:Theology / Q000266:history*