A Philosopher Looks At the Roots of Modern Panpsychism
As philosopher Edward Feser has pointed out, the only type of materialism that is really consistent is eliminative materialism. But that means eliminating the mind by which we determined that: “Eliminativism is a snake that eats its own tail.” Image Credit: Sergie – Adobe Stock There is a way out. Instead of insisting on the absurdity that nothing is conscious, a scientist can maintain materialism by holding that everything is conscious (or cognitive, or something similar). Such claims are now made for plants, fungi, living cells, and electrons. Plus, pansychism merges seemlessly with the fashionable idea that AI personas are reaching the status of persons. Tackling the question “Is everything conscious?,” University of Southampton philosophy lecturer Sam Kimpton-Nye responds, “If the question makes no sense to you, try spending some time with the principle of sufficient reason.” Very well, what principle is that? Under the principle of sufficient reason (PSR), everything in the world is held to be ultimately intelligible. Kimpton-Nye sees the drift toward panpsychism as an attempt to understand our world better. He …
