Contemporary Echoes of the World Soul
Valia Allori
World Soul July 22, 2021 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190913441.003.0017 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that while quantum mechanics has been claimed to offer a unique way to understand the mind-body relation and support panpsychism, the chapter critically evaluates how quantum theories of consciousness use quantum features to account for conscious experience. |
Abstract
Quantum mechanics is a groundbreaking theory: it not only is extraordinarily empirically adequate but also is claimed to having shattered the classical paradigm of understanding the observer-observed distinction as well as the part-whole relation. This, together with other quantum features, has been taken to suggest that quantum theory can help one understand the mind-body relation in a unique way, in particular to solve the hard problem of consciousness along the lines of panpsychism. In this chapter, after having briefly presented panpsychism, Valia Allori discusses the main features of quantum theories and the way in which the main quantum theories of consciousness use them to account for conscious experience.