The Speak Life Podcast Philip Goff: From Agnostic Professor to “Slightly Heretical Christian” || SLP567
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Feb 19, 2025 
In this engaging conversation, Philip Goff, a British philosopher and Durham University professor, explores his journey from agnosticism to identifying as a 'slightly heretical Christian.' He discusses thought-provoking concepts like cosmic fine-tuning, the problem of evil, and the philosophical nuances of consciousness versus materialism. Goff critiques traditional views on existence and highlights the intricate relationship between faith and suffering, inviting listeners to reconsider the complexities of morality and divine belief in a modern context.
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Middle Ground Theistic Options
- Philip Goff explores middle ground options between theism and atheism like a loving God who is not all-powerful.
- He identifies this as a reason to consider himself a "heretical Christian," drawing on mystical Christian traditions.
Love for Third Way Solutions
- Philip Goff consistently favors third way solutions, like panpsychism, which hold a middle ground in philosophical debates.
- He dislikes dichotomies and seeks options that capture benefits of multiple traditional views while avoiding their downsides.
Rethinking Science and Consciousness
- Consciousness can't be explained by current materialist science since brain activity doesn't explain experience.
- Galileo excluded consciousness from science intentionally, so we must rethink science's foundations to include consciousness.
