The strong anthropic principle states that any viable universe must have the capacity for observation; that is, life must evolve in it. If the multi-worlds interpretation is correct, however, we may not all necessarily be in the same universe (if “quantum immortality” is correct, it gets even weirder: people might be in the same universe at one moment in time and may forever diverge at a future branching point as their own survival takes them along different paths).

I wonder whether we can propose a “strongest anthropic principle” of some sort that roughly states that the particular universe each person (or lifeform in general) inhabits evolved specifically for that person/organism rather than for the general existence of life as a whole. The existence of multiple universes would permit it.

We could even take it further, actually, and permit free will under the assumption of determinism (disclaimer: I am not a determinist), though this treads dangerous philosophical and theological ground because it would essentially argue that we are God: if the initial state of the universe is organized for a specific organism, it may be organized for the organism’s free will, or even by the organism’s free will.

Not that I believe this, but the ideas are intriguing. It’s the ultimate philosophy of egocentrism 🙂