Philip Goff: Panpsychism as a Theory of Consciousness

Philip Goff: Panpsychism as a Theory of Consciousness

Author: Daniel Bashir December 12, 2024 Duration: 1:00:04

Episode 141

I spoke with Professor Philip Goff about:

* What a “post-Galilean” science of consciousness looks like

* How panpsychism helps explain consciousness and the hybrid cosmopsychist view

Enjoy!

Philip Goff is a British author, idealist philosopher, and professor at Durham University whose research focuses on philosophy of mind and consciousness. Specifically, it focuses on how consciousness can be part of the scientific worldview. He is the author of multiple books including Consciousness and Fundamental Reality, Galileo's Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness and Why? The Purpose of the Universe.

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Outline:

* (00:00) Intro

* (01:05) Goff vs. Carroll on the Knowledge Arguments and explanation

* (08:00) Preferences for theories

* (12:55) Curiosity (Grounding, Essence) and the Knowledge Argument

* (14:40) Phenomenal transparency and physicalism vs. anti-physicalism

* (29:00) How Exactly does Panpsychism Help Explain Consciousness

* (30:05) The argument for hybrid cosmopsychism

* (36:35) “Bare” subjects / subjects before inheriting phenomenal properties

* (40:35) Bundle theories of the self

* (43:35) Fundamental properties and new subjects as causal powers

* (50:00) Integrated Information Theory

* (55:00) Fundamental assumptions in hybrid cosmopsychism

* (1:00:00) Outro

Links:

* Philip’s homepage and Twitter

* Papers

* Putting Consciousness First

* Curiosity (Grounding, Essence) and the Knowledge Argument



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Hosted by Daniel Bashir, The Gradient: Perspectives on AI moves beyond surface-level headlines to explore the intricate machinery and human ideas shaping artificial intelligence. Each episode is built on a foundation of deep research, leading to conversations that are both technically substantive and broadly accessible. You'll hear from researchers, engineers, and philosophers who are actively building and critiquing our technological future, discussing not just how AI systems work, but the larger implications of their integration into society. This isn't about speculative hype; it's a grounded examination of real progress, persistent challenges, and ethical considerations from those on the front lines. The discussions peel back layers on topics like model architecture, policy, and the fundamental science behind the algorithms becoming part of our daily lives. For anyone curious about the substance behind the buzz-whether you have a technical background or are simply keen to understand a defining technology of our age-this podcast offers a crucial and thoughtful resource. Tune in for a consistently detailed and nuanced take that treats artificial intelligence with the complexity it deserves.
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