Matter, Consciousness, and the Anthropocene
Environmental Humanities November 1, 2025 J. Gaudry, S. Healy
How social theorists conceptualize the material world shapes their approaches to environmental challenges of the Anthropocene. This article contrasts panpsychist theory—which holds that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous property of the natural world—with vital materialism and property dualist historical materialism. It argues that vital materialism tends to diminish human value and responsibility, while property dualist historical materialism tends to devalue and instrumentalize nature. Panpsychism is presented as a basis for addressing these deficiencies, particularly regarding intrinsic value in nature, which the author argues depends on consciousness.