Panpsychism: The Universe Thinks, Therefore It Is.

What is Panpsychism?

You know when you’re playing pretend with your toys and you think, “What if they really could think and feel?” Well, panpsychism is the belief that they can think for themselves. In fact, according to Italian philosopher Francesco Patriz everything in our earth—and anything beyond—has a consciousness. His exact proposition was: “All things possess mind, or some mind-like quality.” How far can this belief go? Does it apply to the tiniest, most microscopic substances like atoms or quarks? What about the largest things like planets, stars, or even the universe itself? If yes, what are the implications of it?

How Panpsychism works

Supporters of this theory, more commonly known as Panpsychists, argue that consciousness is a core element of the universe similar to time or space. But how could this be?

To get a better grasp of panpsychism, we can look at philosopher Thomas Nagel's famous question, "What is it like to be a bat?" The fact is, we won't ever know. But we're certain that the bat, like every other animal, has a consciousness of its own, unique to itself. This highlights something very important: different entities experience life differently. If you look around yourself, you'll find that this is apparent no matter where you are. Even within humans, all 8 billion of us each experience life in extremely different ways. Considering this, it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to think other objects could also have a conscious train of thought. Under panpsychism, we might assume that even something as small as an electron or a grain of sand could have its own distinct type of consciousness. So yes, apparently quarks do have their own thoughts. While this idea might seem odd, some modern physicists have considered it as a way to tackle the million-dollar question: how consciousness emerges from non-conscious matter?

The Implications

If everything in our universe and outside of it is conscious, how does that affect humans? We’ve established ourselves as the dominant race: the species to build technology, literature, mathematics. What if somehow, we could communicate with other objects that have a stream of conscious thought and we discover they’ve solved the theorems and conjunctures that we puzzle over? What then? The idea that the clock on your wall might have solved the God Equation sounds ludicrous, however it is in the realm of possibility within Panpsychism.

Furthermore, if panpsychism was real, this would imply there is an infinite amount of things that could have conscious thought. After all, panpsychism applies to literally everything, whether manmade or natural. This could cause enough chaos to entirely upend our laws of living. Accidentally breaking your glasses doesn't just entail paying more money to get them fixed, it could now potentially bring you behind bars. Mixing together all the different shampoos as a child isn't just something to do for fun, it's now the birth of a new entity.

Holes In The Panpsychism Belief

That said, panpsychism does bring up some tricky questions. If everything has consciousness, how do we differentiate our thought process from, say, the "thoughts" of a rock? What about objects that are made of a lot of different components? For example, a TV is made up of wires, monitors, circuit boards and much more. Does the TV as a whole have a conscious train of thought, like a hive mind, or are the components individual in their thinking? These questions will not have answers. We cannot solve these questions through the scientific method, or any other method, for that matter. There is no discernible method in figuring out how exactly consciousness in inanimate objects would work, and that's the problem.

Critics point out that while panpsychism is a fascinating concept, it ultimately lacks any testable predictions or solid evidence. Obviously, it’s incredibly difficult to measure or observe consciousness in inanimate objects. How would you know what the water you’re drinking is thinking? Still, in a universe full of extraordinary enigmas—from black holes to dark matter to string theory—some thinkers believe that panpsychism could shed new light on the nature of reality and consciousness.

Conclusion

In the end, while it's fascinating to sit and ponder if the universe is an active entity, there really is no method in proving it. Panpsychism is an enthralling concept, complex and interesting down to its core. I think that's what Panpsychism should remain: a concept and an idea, not an answer.

References:

Brogaard, B., PhD. (2016, November 6). Is There Consciousness in Everything? Psychology Today.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201611/is-there-consciousness-in-everything

Skrbina, D. (n.d.) Panpsychism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, https://iep.utm.edu/

(Accessed: 29 September 2024)

Falk, D. (2023, September 25). Is consciousness part of the fabric of the universe? Scientific American.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-consciousness-part-of-the-fabric-of-the-universe1/ (Accessed: 29 September 2024)