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  • Is There Any Validity to Pancomputationalism?
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Publication

Is There Any Validity to Pancomputationalism?

by Hugh Ross
April 29, 2022

Question of the week: What are your thoughts on pancomputationalism? How does it impact the fine-tuning argument for a personal God?

My answer: Pancomputationalism is the claim that all physical systems—galaxies, stars, rocks, dust, gas, molecules, atoms, protons, a pair of scissors—either continually or intermittently perform computations. Pancomputationalism is akin to digital physics. Digital physics is the belief that the universe either is a digital computation device constantly producing information or is the output from some kind of computer or computer program existing outside the universe. The supposed scientific evidence for pancomputationalism or digital physics is based on reading into classical dynamics, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics much more than what is really there. At best, pancomputationalists and digital physicists simply are pointing out some similarities between unguided physical processes and primitive computing outcomes. Hence, I would advise everyone to not throw away their laptop computers or try to run them without software and electricity. Also, there is no reason to worry that we are trapped in a matrix. The fine-tuning argument for a personal God remains unchallenged by pancomputationalism and digital physics. Likewise, the evidence that we are free-will beings with real consciousness rather than mere components of a computer simulation remains secure.

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