Who Fine-Tuned God?

It’s a common and fair objection to the fine-tuning argument for God: If the universe is fine-tuned and that points to an intelligent designer, then who fine-tuned the designer? Who fine-tuned God?

At first glance, this seems like a devastating question. After all, if we’re appealing to an intelligent cause to explain complexity, then shouldn’t that cause be even more complex—and in need of its own explanation?

But here’s the key idea: The fine-tuning argument doesn’t point to a complex god. In fact, it points away from that entirely.

If god were made of parts—components that had to be arranged just right to function—then yes, he would need a fine-tuner too. But that leads to an infinite regress, only begs the question, and gets us nowhere.

That’s precisely why the fine-tuning argument, as we present it, points to the God of classical theism—yichud Hashem (divine simplicity)—One Simple Fundamental Existence: a being without parts, without complexity, and therefore not in need of fine-tuning.

So, who fine-tuned God?

No one. Because the simple God the fine-tuning argument points to isn’t subject to fine-tuning at all.