A Conscious Universe

Cosmopsychism, a combination of panpsychism and priority monism, holds that the universe itself is a single fundamental conscious subject. This view solves the Subject Irreducibility Problem, which challenges other theories. An empirical argument against emergentism is presented; if sound, cosmopsychism becomes the only anti-emergentist position that resolves the problem. The chapter also addresses the 'incredulous stare'—the intuition that cosmopsychism is too implausible—arguing that this reaction stems from cultural biases, and that both cosmopsychism and physicalism are rooted in the same anti-emergentist motivations.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This chapter explores and defends a form of cosmopsychism: the combination of panpsychism and priority monism (the latter being the view that there is only one fundamental individual). The crucial advantage of cosmopsychism is that it offers a solution to the Subject Irreducibility Problem, discussed in the last chapter. After developing the view in response to various challenges, an empirical argument is advanced against emergentism. If this argument is sound, then it leads to cosmopsychism as the only anti-emergentist view that can solve the Subject Irreducibility Problem. Finally, the chapter responds to “the incredulous stare”: the sense that cosmopsychism is just too crazy to be believed. It is argued that this reaction is due to cultural associations; in fact, both comospychism and physicalism are motivated by the same anti-emergentist instincts.