Ruyant, Quentin (2024) Indexicality, Bayesian Background and Self-Location in Fine-Tuning Arguments for the Multiverse. Noûs.
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Abstract
Our universe seems to be miraculously fine-tuned for life. Multiverse theories have been proposed as an explanation for this on the basis of probabilistic arguments, but various authors have objected that we should consider our total evidence that this universe in particular has life in our inference, which would block the argument. The debate thus crucially hinges on how Bayesian background and evidence are distinguished and on how indexical or demonstrative terms are analysed. The aim of this article is to take a step back and examine these various aspects of Bayesian reasoning and how they affect the arguments. The upshot is that there are reasons to resist the fine-tuning argument for the multiverse, but the "this-universe-objection" is not one of them.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Keywords: | fine-tuning multiverses cosmology Bayesian inferences indexicality self-locating beliefs | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Confirmation/Induction Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology General Issues > Evidence General Issues > Models and Idealization |
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| Depositing User: | Mr. Quentin Ruyant | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 05 May 2024 08:33 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 05 May 2024 08:33 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 23352 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Noûs | ||||||
| Official URL: | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nous.1... | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1111/nous.12502 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Confirmation/Induction Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology General Issues > Evidence General Issues > Models and Idealization |
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| Date: | 2024 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/23352 |
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