Originally posted by no1marauder
Is there any reason to believe that the strength of the force of gravity or the electromagnetic force HAVE to be what they are in the universe? Isn't it conceivable to have a universe with a stronger gravitional force? I know of no scientific reason why gravity must be of x strength for a universe to exist, do you?
If there is only ...[text shortened]... d B) that this is the only universe. Do either seem scientifically invalid to you?
Is gravity a force? I thought that according to general relativity it was just the curvature of space-time as a result of mass. Since I don't know what the constraints are on physical law formation, I can't tell you whether it is possible that the laws could be different. Of course it is conceivable that the laws be different, so it is logically possible that they could be different. But that is not the necessity at issue here. If there are meta-laws that constrain physical law formation, then it may not be nomologically possible for the laws to have been different. Further, if there are such meta-laws, then it may be that the scientist is assumely unjustifiedly that the physical constants are independent of each other for purposes of probabilistic calculation. Anyway, this isn't a line of argument I'm committed to, which is why I pointed out that this is a question I would ask the scientist, rather than an objection I would present.
No, the analogy is perfect, you are just mistaking the corresponding elements in the analogy. There is only one universe just as there is only one winner of the lottery. The universe could have been different (so the scientist assumes), just as there could have been a different winner.
Further, I doubtthe argument is inductive. What could the inductive evidence possibly be, given that we have no experience with other universes and their laws? The argument is probably abductive (inference to the best explanation), and I bet it relies on some sort of a priori principle. I would need to see the premises.
Actually, check out the following link for a full-dress version of the fine-tuning argument:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theodore_drange/tuning-revisited.html
This is an abductive argument.