In Our Time: Philosophy
BBC Radio 4
Categories: Education
Listen to the last episode:
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that some kind of consciousness is present not just in our human brains but throughout the universe, right down to cells or even electrons. This is panpsychism and its proponents argue it offers a compelling alternative to those who say we are nothing but matter, like machines, and to those who say we are both matter and something else we might call soul. It is a third way. Critics argue panpsychism is implausible, an example of how not to approach this problem, yet interest has been growing widely in recent decades partly for the idea itself and partly in the broader context of understanding how consciousness arises.
With
Tim Crane Professor of Philosophy and Pro-Rector at the Central European University Director of Research, FWF Cluster of Excellence, Knowledge in Crisis
Joanna Leidenhag, Associate Professor in Theology and Philosophy at the University of Leeds
And
Philip Goff Professor of Philosophy at Durham University
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Anthony Freeman (ed.), Consciousness and Its Place in Nature: Does Physicalism Entail Panpsychism? (Imprint Academic, 2006), especially 'Realistic Monism' by Galen Strawson
Philip Goff, Galileo's Error: Foundations for A New Science of Consciousness (Pantheon, 2019)
Philip Goff, Why? The Purpose of the Universe (Oxford University Press, 2023)
David Ray Griffin, Unsnarling the World-Knot: Consciousness, Freedom and the Mind-Body Problem (Wipf & Stock, 2008)
Joanna Leidenhag, Minding Creation: Theological Panpsychism and the Doctrine of Creation (Bloomsbury, 2021)
Joanna Leidenhag, ‘Panpsychism and God’ (Philosophy Compass Vol 17, Is 12, e12889)
Hedda Hassel Mørch, Non-physicalist Theories of Consciousness (Cambridge University Press, 2024)
Thomas Nagel, Mortal Questions (Cambridge University Press, 2012), especially the chapter 'Panpsychism'
David Skrbina, Panpsychism in the West (MIT Press, 2007) James van Cleve, 'Mind-Dust or Magic? Panpsychism versus Emergence' (Philosophical Perspectives Vol. 4, Action Theory and Philosophy of Mind, Ridgeview Publishing Company, 1990)
Previous episodes
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154 - Panpsychism Thu, 22 Feb 2024
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153 - The Theory of the Leisure Class Thu, 14 Dec 2023
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152 - Elizabeth Anscombe Thu, 20 Jul 2023
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151 - Mercantilism Thu, 13 Apr 2023
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150 - Condorcet Thu, 08 Feb 2024
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149 - Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Thu, 30 Nov 2023
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148 - Solon the Lawgiver Thu, 20 Apr 2023
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147 - Tycho Brahe Thu, 02 Mar 2023
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146 - Rawls' Theory of Justice Thu, 16 Feb 2023
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145 - Plato's Atlantis Thu, 20 Oct 2022
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144 - Hegel's Philosophy of History Thu, 23 Jun 2022
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143 - Comenius Thu, 16 Jun 2022
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142 - Charisma Thu, 14 Apr 2022
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141 - The Arthashastra Thu, 31 Mar 2022
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140 - In Our Time is now first on BBC Sounds Fri, 04 Mar 2022
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139 - Walter Benjamin Thu, 10 Feb 2022
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138 - Plato's Gorgias Thu, 25 Nov 2021
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137 - Iris Murdoch Thu, 21 Oct 2021
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136 - Kant's Copernican Revolution Thu, 03 Jun 2021
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135 - Marcus Aurelius Thu, 25 Feb 2021
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134 - Mary Astell Thu, 05 Nov 2020
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133 - Deism Thu, 08 Oct 2020
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132 - Rousseau on Education Thu, 10 Oct 2019
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131 - Bergson and Time Thu, 09 May 2019
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130 - Authenticity Thu, 14 Mar 2019
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129 - Aristotle's Biology Thu, 07 Feb 2019
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128 - Hope Thu, 22 Nov 2018
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127 - The Fable of the Bees Thu, 25 Oct 2018
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126 - Montesquieu Thu, 14 Jun 2018
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125 - Tocqueville: Democracy in America Thu, 22 Mar 2018
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124 - Augustine's Confessions Thu, 15 Mar 2018
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123 - Sun Tzu and The Art of War Thu, 01 Mar 2018
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122 - Cicero Thu, 25 Jan 2018
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121 - Kant's Categorical Imperative Thu, 21 Sep 2017
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120 - Plato's Republic Thu, 29 Jun 2017
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119 - Roger Bacon Thu, 20 Apr 2017
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118 - Seneca the Younger Thu, 23 Feb 2017
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117 - Hannah Arendt Thu, 02 Feb 2017
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116 - Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality Thu, 12 Jan 2017
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115 - Zeno's Paradoxes Thu, 22 Sep 2016
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114 - Sovereignty Thu, 30 Jun 2016
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113 - The Muses Thu, 19 May 2016
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112 - Simone de Beauvoir Thu, 22 Oct 2015
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111 - Utilitarianism Thu, 11 Jun 2015
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110 - Al-Ghazali Thu, 19 Mar 2015
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109 - The Wealth of Nations Thu, 19 Feb 2015
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108 - Phenomenology Thu, 22 Jan 2015
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107 - Truth Thu, 18 Dec 2014
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106 - Zen Thu, 04 Dec 2014
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105 - The Philosophy of Solitude Thu, 19 Jun 2014