Simulations All the Way Up! An Atheist's Response to the Fine‐Tuning Argument

ABSTRACT So the Fine‐tuning Argument goes, because it is so unlikely for the physical constants of the laws of nature to have taken the values that they in fact take, we should significantly raise our credence that God exists. Simulation Arguments argue that our world might be (or, in stronger versions, that it probably is) a mere computer simulation. This paper argues that, in light of a Simulation Argument with a particularly weak conclusion, fine‐tuning reasoning instead motivates atheists to believe that we live in a computer simulation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Analytic Philosophy
Published
2026-04-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/phib.70007
Primary Topic
Theology and Philosophy of Evil
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Simulations All the Way Up! An Atheist's Response to the Fine‐Tuning Argument

Nikk Effingham
Analytic Philosophy
Theology and Philosophy of Evil
article

Simulations All the Way Up! An Atheist's Response to the Fine‐Tuning Argument

Nikk Effingham
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT So the Fine‐tuning Argument goes, because it is so unlikely for the physical constants of the laws of nature to have taken the values that they in fact take, we should significantly raise our credence that God exists. Simulation Arguments argue that our world might be (or, in stronger versions, that it probably is) a mere computer simulation. This paper argues that, in light of a Simulation Argument with a particularly weak conclusion, fine‐tuning reasoning instead motivates atheists to believe that we live in a computer simulation.

Analytic Philosophy
University of Johannesburg (ZA), University of Birmingham (GB)
John Templeton Foundation, University of York, University of Birmingham
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Theology and Philosophy of Evil
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