What is exactly the problem with panpsychism?
The Behavioral and brain sciences March 23, 2022 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x21001916 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the lack of evidence for consciousness in simple systems is a main obstacle for panpsychism, and that perspectivalist theory reveals difficulties in synthesizing a full theory of consciousness. |
Abstract
Merker et al.'s critique calls for a deeper analysis of panpsychism. In principle, the concept of integrated information can be applied to photodiodes and subatomic particles, but I suggest the main obstacle is the lack of any evidence to confirm the presence of consciousness. Also MRW's perspectivalist theory illustrates the difficulties in synthesizing a full-fledged theory of consciousness.