Premium
Understanding the Universe
Author(s) -
POLKINGHORNE JOHN
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb02136.x
Subject(s) - metaphysics , anthropic principle , epistemology , intelligibility (philosophy) , theism , philosophy , value (mathematics) , scope (computer science) , theoretical physics , physics , computer science , machine learning , programming language
A bstract : Physics constrains metaphysics but does not determine it. The central metaphysical question is that of scope; a true theory of everything must take personal experience as seriously as the impersonal. Science raises questions of intelligibility and anthropic fine‐tuning that go beyond its own self‐limited power to answer. Theism provides a coherent response, as well as furnishing a foundation for the human encounter with value. Evolutionary insight affords some insight in relation to problems of physical evil, but eventual cosmic futility can only find an answer in the faithfulness of a Creator whose purposes are not frustrated by death.