What are the ethical implications of panpsychism?
Pizhūhish/hā-yi Falsafī- Kalāmī August 6, 2024 DOI: 10.22091/jptr.2024.10501.3030 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPanpsychism extends phenomenal consciousness beyond humans and animals, making it fundamental and ubiquitous in nature. Within panpsychism, micropsychism attributes consciousness to fundamental particles, granting them moral status and standing, yet this has no practical moral consequences and does not require behavioral change toward them. Macropsychism attributes consciousness to the cosmos and all physical objects, holding that the universe has moral status and standing; it requires acting to increase pleasure and decrease pain for all beings whose causes of pleasure and pain are known, including animals and plants, but imposes no moral obligations regarding inanimate beings.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Phenomenal consciousness Panpsychism Micropsychism Macropsychism Cosmopsychism |
| Key finding | Argues that panpsychism's extension of consciousness to all beings has ethical implications, with micropsychism granting moral status to particles without practical consequences, and macropsychism requiring moral consideration for animate beings but not inanimate ones. |
Abstract
People usually think that phenomenal consciousness is unique to humans and animals, but panpsychism extends it to other beings and considers consciousness to be fundamental and ubiquitous in the natural world. This extension is the common claim of panpsychists and has ethical implications. Panpsychists differ from each other in the extent of extension of consciousness. Micropsychism extends consciousness to the fundamental particles at the micro-level, and macropsychism extends it to cosmos and all physical objects in the universe. According to micropsychism, fundamental particles have moral status and significant moral standing, but this truth has no practical moral consequences and does not require us to change our behavior towards them. According to macropsychism, the universe has moral status and significant moral standing, and we should act in a way that increases the pleasure and decreases the pain of all beings that we know the cause of their pleasure and pain. Also, macropsychism requires admitting the moral status and significant moral standing of all animate and inanimate beings, and we must behave in such a way that the pleasure of animals and plants increases and their pain decreases, but we do not have any moral obligation regarding inanimate beings.