Anthropic
The term "Anthropic" derives from the Greek word "anthropos," meaning "human." In the context of philosophy and cosmology, it refers to observations or principles that are conditioned by the human perspective. The Anthropic Principle, for instance, posits that the universe appears to be fine-tuned for human life because humans are observing it; if conditions were different, humans would not exist to make the observation.
There are different forms of the Anthropic Principle:
Weak Anthropic Principle: This suggests that the observed properties of the universe are, at least in part, a consequence of the fact that we are here as observers. It doesn't claim the universe is designed for humans but rather that humans could only arise in a universe with properties like ours.
Strong Anthropic Principle: This version goes further to suggest that the universe must have properties that allow life to develop within it at some point in its history.
The Anthropic Principle is often used to counter arguments suggesting that the fine-tuning of certain physical constants necessarily points to a designer or creator (see the Teleological Argument - Argument from Design). Instead, it posits that we see these conditions because only under such conditions could we exist to observe them. It is a selection effect, of the same kind as Survivorship Bias.