The Engineering Fallacy of Fine-Tuning: Derived Parameters and Causal Cost

The fine-tuning argument claims that small variations in fundamental constants would render life impossible, thereby supporting the hypothesis of intelligent design. This paper argues that the argument relies on an unjustified assumption: that physical constants are independent and freely variable parameters. An alternative engineering-oriented interpretation is proposed: observed constants are derived characteristics of an already realized system architecture rather than tunable inputs. Two principles—the Principle of Derived Parameters and the Principle of Causal Cost—are introduced to demonstrate that probability estimates over parameter space are not physically meaningful. It is concluded that the fine-tuning argument evaluates the wrong space of possibilities.