Two objections to the "fine-tuned universe" argument for intelligent design
The universe appears to be “fine-tuned”: the slightest variation beyond certain physical constants would not result in the universe as we understand it.
2. Thus, the universe as we understand it is an extremely unlikely event/series of events.
3. Any such extremely unlikely event/series of events is best explained not by natural processes—such as natural selection for explaining the presence of diverse life forms—but by intelligent design.
4. Given these two possibilities for explanation, intelligent design is the best explanation for the creation and nature of the universe. (3, 4 DS)
Agree with your assessment of the first premise. Assumes the answer, it also assumes we are at an end point in our understanding of our universe or even what universes with the slight variations of physical constraints would look like either.
I feel that when people say “intelligent design” they are referring more to an intent to produce aesthetically pleasing mathematical symmetry from a wilful or conscious deity. There also seems to be an assumption that the aesthetic values existed before the things the values were based on did.
We don’t build buildings. We make aesthetically pleasing and sculpted tree houses and mountains. We didn’t even used to do that, we valued the safety and functionality of our architecture and as it improved so did our appreciation for it. Nature is intelligent only in that it taught us to be intelligent in Nature.
For me, this doesn’t discount the possibility of a god. However it discounts the possibility of a god of creation. An entity that preceded the universe and intelligently based it off what?
Even if say we examine intelligent design through simulation theory it still doesn’t hold up. We can learn this through our own creation of computer simulations. We use them to emulate reality. No video game or simulation can show you anything that that doesn’t contain aspects of reality no matter how seemingly abstract. This tells us a few things about the outside universe our hypothetical simulation take place in. It’s similar to our own reality, it is the inspiration for what we call the natural laws of our universe. So it must have natural laws, therefore we would still just be a simulated universe inside a natural one with which intelligence itself is inspired by.