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Panpsychism and God

Joanna Leidenhag

Philosophy Compass December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1111/phc3.12889 (opens in new tab)

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Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Key points Argues that panpsychism is a theologically flexible family of views that has been used to support atheism, pantheism, panentheism, and traditional monotheism, but that this flexibility is limited: different versions of panpsychism constrain these models of God, and vice versa. The range of motivations for linking panpsychism to belief or disbelief in God reveals varied ways of interpreting the spiritual import of positing mentality in nature.

Abstract

Abstract: Panpsychism is the view, found in ancient and modern, Eastern and Western philosophies, that mind is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of the universe. This article explores the use of panpsychism to support different views of God. It is seen that as a family of views, panpsychism is a theologically flexible position that has been used to support atheism, pantheism, panentheism, and traditional monotheism. However, the relationship between panpsychism and philosophy of religion is not infinitely flexible. Different versions of panpsychism constrain these models of God, and vice versa . The different motivations for linking panpsychism to (dis)belief in God reveals the range of ways of interpreting the spiritual import of positing mentality in nature.

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