Accidentally, through Darwinian evolution. But it’s hard to explain. Michael E. Price takes issue with Joseph P. Carter (the universe does not care about purpose) at Psychology Today: He offers to explain how natural selection can create purpose (a position denied by most of its devotees):
Smolin founded his theory on the idea that our universe exists as just one in a vast population of replicating universes: a multiverse (this idea is becoming increasingly conventional and non-controversial among physicists). In a multiverse, Smolin reasoned, universe designs that were better at self-replication would achieve greater representation. And if black holes were the mechanism of self-replication, he reasoned further, then selection would favor universes that contained more black holes. From this perspective, life is merely the accidental by-product of processes ‘designed’ by cosmological natural selection to produce black holes.
There is simply no evidence of any kind for a multiverse, however popular among physicists. One could probably stop reading Price at that point.
The bottom line of both my Complexity article and this blog post is: life is more likely than black holes (or anything else) to be a mechanism of universe replication. Now if you’ve read this far, first of all let me thank and congratulate you, because I know this post discusses an esoteric topic using fairly technical language (I apologize for this language, but think it helps with precise communication). But let me also address a question that you may have at this point: “What could it possibly mean to suggest that life is a mechanism of universe replication?” I would start answering this question right now, but I’ve already gone on too long for a single post. So if you’re interested in this topic, I hope you’ll stay tuned for future posts. More.
This may well be the best naturalism can offer. Just think.
Note: Smolin? Lee Smolin Confirms C.S. Lewis’ Prediction
See also: Philosopher: The universe does not care about purpose but we should anyway