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Should panpsychists be Christians?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2023

Philip Goff Open the ORCID record for Philip Goff [Opens in a new window]
Philip Goff*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Durham University, Durham, UK
*
Email: philip.a.goff@durham.ac.uk
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Abstract

In this article, I offer a response to Joanna Leidenhag's book Mind Creation: Theological Panpsychism and the Doctrine of Creation. Whereas Leidenhag argues that the panpsychist's demands for explanation of the mind lead naturally to demands for an explanation of the whole universe, I counter that (i) the panpsychist's explanatory demands are not necessarily quite as general as Leidenhag presumes, and (ii) demands for an explanation of the whole universe can in any case be satisfying via the postulation of a self-explaining universe. I agree with Leidenhag that panpsychism is potentially a helpful way for Christians to think about the relationship between God and the universe, while disagreeing concerning how well suited process theism is to making sense of such a relationship. Finally, in terms of eco-philosophy, I agree with Leidenhag that panpsychism is conducive to a healthier relationship between humans and the natural world, while expressing reservations that a specifically Christian form of panpsychist eco-philosophy is preferable.

Keywords

PanpsychismChristianityenvironmentalismcosmological argumentsprocess theology
Type
Book Symposium
Information
Religious Studies , First View , pp. 1 - 8
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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