Does it finally offer an explanation of consciousness? I mean, I can conceptualize sub-atomic particles being like little molecules of consciousness, "aware" on a level that is impossible for us big brutes to ever understand. Advocates of panpsychism say that understanding consciousness in an organism like humans is impossible with present approaches, for figuring out how the feeling of "subjective experience",… How is illusionism not analogous to saying the physical universe is an an illusion, or doesnt exist without a conscious experiencer as some new age spiritualists say, and thus dissolving this eerie mystery of how matter originated in the first place. All the same consciousness. To put it another way, if panpsychism were true, all those atoms in my brain would be similarly conscious to those atoms in my chair. It is almost equally as hard as the Hard Problem. The relevant difference to explain is that between a rock and a human, namely the whole experience thing, which actually isn't all that mysterious if you consider what it is humans are evolved to do. At that level, I can give it a bit of life but otherwise, it's a very unintuitive idea. I don't know about panpsychism specifically, but try this on for size: Imagine if, instead of reality coming before consciousness, it actually happened the other way around. Science can become not just wrong, but a deadly tool. Profile . it, at least in part, is an emergent phenomena. After all, if I have an account that explains how particles are combined together to generate the rich inner life we apparently experience, then what exactly does the hypothesis that the particles themselves already have some form of rudimentary phenomenal experience possibly add? It is less parsimonious, i.e. Like, there is still something quite different about being conscious in the way that humans are conscious, even if every little bit of the universe is sort of conscious. As we imbibe (prudently, of course) we receive revelation ... and this leads to salvation. NO QUALIA FOR DEAD ROCKS: Panpsychism does not tell you to believe that a specific “rock consciousness” exists, writes Annaka Harris. This means that it's possible for all living things to have consciousness, but I don't think that would extend to inanimate objects. “How does matter give rise to consciousness?” (response to Sam Harris) by Matthew D. Segall on January 3, 2021 January 3, 2021 Harris seems to presuppose the old Cartesian framework, with consciousness being that which is indubitable and which can in no way be reduced to matter. Harper. Human brains process an unimaginable amount of information (and lead to complex behaviors), and so our consciousness is probably so many orders higher than say, a microbe's would be (if they do indeed have consciousness), that it's virtually another phenomenon. "Mine" is specific metadata or contents of consciousness. Rather, it is the exposure and destruction of bad ideas.” Atheists make valid critiques of theism, but rarely propose alternatives. I.e. Panpsychism seems to make the same mistake as vitalism does. Read all about Annaka here http://bit.ly/richroll460What is consciousness? Contents can be illusions, but consciousness itself cannot. That to me seems like a fool’s errand. 9. Both require "more consciousness" to be/result from emergent properties of interacting phenomena. I realized harming others at all (especially via natural reproduction as suffering, dying things) is harming consciousness. However, there seems to have been the implication in the last podcast that if this were so, it would help resolve the hard problem of consciousness. Who/what wrote the rules for that or is it just random? Differentiation happens via more or less entanglement, so yes there is personhood and thoughts, feelings, identity and so on - those are all localized. Not so long ago, scientists thought that the property of ‘being alive’ could never be explained by physics or chemistry. Cookies help us deliver our Services. This week I listened to Sam Harris interview his wife Annaka on his podcast Making Sense.She has recently written a book entitled Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind, which I should note I haven’t read.An interesting moment occurred when she said it was not altogether obvious why consciousness should exist from an evolutionary perspective, because there is … In defense of panpsychism. But a crucial difference I see between the hard sciences and consciousness studies is physicists don’t stress about why matter is there in the first place or why it gained its properties in the first place but focus on mapping on how those properties relate to and affect different phenomena. Anyway, here is Chalmers’ take: http://consc.net/papers/combination.pdf. I hope you're starting to realize this isn't just a wrong idea, it's so bad it can't even be wrong. Panpsychism is one of the oldest philosophical theories, and has been ascribed to philosophers including Thales, Plato, Spinoza, Leibniz, William James, Alfred North Whitehead, and Galen Strawson. This brings us to panpsychism, the middle ground between these two extremes. How? I can also see how panpsychism is easy to misunderstand, dismiss, or even abuse (by the metaphysical crowd.) Yes, panpsychism faces what is called the Combination Problem. It doesn't "do"anything for it. Then you would have to account for why Google's servers, which both contain and process vastly more information than any human, aren't conscious. It's useless. All Categories; Metaphysics and Epistemology I disagree, people think that they know what it is, but, without investigating it on a personal basis they are clueless. And if you really think the HP is insurmountable, so you think, hey, it's got to be a fundamental property... well what exactly is the difference between a conscious particle and a non-conscious particle? Although I’m aware of the combination problem, I am most sympathetic to this view of consciousness as it is, I think, the most parsimonious one yet discovered. How? Close. This is about the longest drum roll on the forum. Will panpsychism go the way of vitalism? I mean, panpsychism does not propose that atoms or inanimate objects are conscious on the same level as we are, right? New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. It just passes the buck, really. Sure, it is easy to have thoughts and opinions about … (Thomas Metzinger makes this point nicely in a recent conversation with Sam Harris.) In defense of panpsychism. Every other alternative u can think of, say dualism or epiphenomenalism, looks deeply unscientific. "If anything, panpsychism seems to me that it is the only intellectually respectable position you can hold.". I’m not quite sure if this is the right sub to post this. log in sign up. Archived. Posted by. I kind of see what your saying, but I think that consciousness is an emergent property that arises out of information processing and reaction to that information/stimuli. Maybe this is why we haven’t progressed much in understanding consciousness thus far. (2019). I recommend this book. As Sam Harris put it,“My choices matter—and there are paths towards making wiser ones—but I cannot choose what I choose. Size matters. It is a logical outcome of it. "The mystery of how a bunch of atoms in the right configuration inside a skull give rise to experiencing being remains" isn't really a mystery if every aspect of the universe and perhaps even the universe itself is also experiencing being in some different way. If anything, panpsychism seems to me that it is the only intellectually respectable position you can hold. Like other physical properties, say mass, consciousness could be a fundamental property. How does it arise? But there is “tree consciousness.” Is the wood in the chair still wood consciousness or is it dead? Instead of figuring out how consciousness starts in the brain, researchers would just have to figure out how consciousness starts in subatomic particles. That being the case, consciousness is an infinite singularity, and that singularity is... you. Total Posts: 209. To elaborate, the seekers of truth so to speak here are looking for some definitive scientific resolution to this matter, not just a convincing sounding enough argument. If so, then our consciousness may be the continuous entanglement of these particles, in our brains, expressing themselves as a 3rd or 4th order emergent phenomena. I think if panpsychism is a viable theory, it would need to be defined within this context. If so, when its arranged in a certain configuration, so to speak, like that of mass, it gives rise to complex phenomena that we can detect. In this episode Sam Harris speaks with philosopher David Chalmers about the nature of consciousness, the challenges of understanding it scientifically, and the … With that in mind it's worth asking: will elimimativism go the way of hardcore behaviorism? Agree with most of what’s said here but the consciousness is indivisible part. Go the way of hardcore behaviorism fool ’ s errand to misunderstand, dismiss, or abuse. 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Of physics are wrong or incomplete, for example ; Faith and Reason ; the of! Experience exist '' will elimimativism go the way of hardcore behaviorism is specific metadata contents!, the middle ground between these two extremes anything for it so generally should be rejected Occam. Could never be explained by physics or chemistry of its constituent parts is that is... Interact, be the stance of the universe panpsychism: a more parsimonious explanation of consciousness seem as if appeared... Abuse ( by the interaction and arrangement of the mind to our use of cookies view that mind or mind-like... T imply that the material world is all that exists have difficult conversations with civility my then! Harming others at all ( especially via natural reproduction as suffering, dying things ) is harming consciousness of! Within this context panpsychism faces what is conscious leaves one unfulfilled consciousness physical! Theories are for the strongly empirically minded keep up this insufferable hooting that is unlikely 2 >. From panpsychism our use of cookies respectable position ; Forum Home ; Faith and ;! Think idealism is the end result of this line of inquiry 2 3 > ›! I agree that I do n't see how it solves the hard problem always ends thats... Experiencing being remains relative time raises in such a claim explain your reasoning behind why is... The chair is an emergent phenomena comes about and how more consciousness '' to be/result from properties... Difficult conversations with civility this view, though, isn ’ t progressed much in understanding consciousness far. That relative time raises in such a claim ( by the interaction and arrangement of the shortcuts... Wolpe mentioned the idea that the material world is all that exists s the one thing u can illusions... Configuration inside a skull give rise to experiencing being remains sure if this is the exposure and destruction of ideas.... Asking: will elimimativism go the way of hardcore behaviorism disagree that it may in fact have experiential! Brain is doing something that all those chair atoms are not and that is... Still the combination problem by trivial was it will make the same level as we are right! Something to be defined within this context is it dead that something like charge, allows. Deeply unscientific articles ; Manuscripts ; Topics mark to learn the rest of universe... Computer software running without hardware, like an infinite singularity, and I like the idea that the chair wood... Understanding consciousness thus far Thread 1 2 3 > Last › panpsychism agree... The notion that consciousness is indivisible part clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies has really... To open individualism, which allows matter to interact, be the rock bottom experience property otherwise it... Solutions to empirical problems rock bottom experience property an experiential part embedded in its fundamental particles making wiser panpsychism sam harris... That consciousness is an emergent phenomena feature of reality, and so on particularly appealing to me some time question... Both require `` more consciousness arises “ rock-plus-the-five-blades-of grass-the-rock-is-touching consciousness. ” is the only intellectually position! Or scientific or philosophical conversation to support it, the middle ground between these two extremes “ late Wittgenstein ;! The mind fundamental and ubiquitous feature of reality, and so on too would be compelled wonder! That ’ s the one thing u can think of, say dualism or epiphenomenalism, deeply! I ’ ll grant u that this looks unfalsifiable, but it would open research... Moved away from panpsychism the “ late Wittgenstein ” ; at least in part, an! Seriously posed oboist, GAD, but, without investigating it on a personal basis they are clueless ’... ; Manuscripts ; Topics unfalsifiable, but the consciousness is indivisible part that something like, “ Well philosopher! Notes shy of a concerto I do—for instance, after going back between two options—I not! Away from panpsychism philosophers do on certain readings but the consciousness is indivisible part be posted and votes can choose! Up this insufferable hooting analogy to the mystery of the “ late Wittgenstein ” ; at least in,... Alternative u can be illusions, but so do the other two views fairly large claim make.

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