New Books in Physics and Chemistry

Philip Goff, "Why? The Purpose of the Universe" (Oxford UP, 2023)

Dec 10, 2023

Philip Goff, author of 'Why? The Purpose of the Universe', discusses cosmic purposivism and cosmopsychism as a middle ground between secular humanism and religious perspectives. They explore the connection between the purpose of the universe and personal meaning, the concept of fine-tuning in physics, and the rejection of the traditional god hypothesis. They also discuss the problem of evil and the argument against the Omni God. Goff shares insights into their current projects and the difference between pantheism and panentheism.

01:06:53

Episode guests

Philip Goff

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The universe has a cosmic purpose that can be explained through cosmopsychism rather than an all-powerful God.

Panpsychism and cosmocycism propose that the universe itself is a conscious mind striving towards the good.

Deep dives

Cosmic Purpose and Fine-Tuning

The podcast episode explores the concept of cosmic purpose and the fine-tuning of the universe. The speaker argues that there is evidence for a directedness towards the good at the fundamental level of reality. The fine-tuning of physics for life is presented as one piece of evidence for cosmic purpose. The speaker suggests that the purpose of the universe is to strive towards the good and that this idea can provide a broader and deeper meaning to human existence.

Introduction

3min

Exploring the Purpose of the Universe and Personal Meaning

7min

Reconsidering Value: A Journey from Nihilism to Fundamentalism

8min

Fine-Tuning and Cosmic Purpose

11min

Exploring Cosmic Purpose and Rejecting the Traditional God Hypothesis

4min

The Argument Against the Omni God

30min

Current Projects and Future Work

4min

Does the universe have a purpose? If it does, how is this connected to the meaningfulness that we seek in our lives? In Why? The Purpose of the Universe (Oxford University Press, 2023), Philip Goff argues for cosmic purposivism, the idea that the universe does have a purpose – although this is not because there is an all-powerful God who provides it with one. Instead, Goff argues, fundamental physics provides us with reason to think it is probable there is a cosmic purpose – and, moreover, the best explanation of these reasons is to posit cosmopsychism: the idea that there are fundamental forms of consciousness such that the universe itself is a conscious mind. Goff, who is professor of philosophy at Durham University, argues that these claims are not as extravagant as they may initially seem, and that his view provides a way for understanding human purposes that lies between secular humanism and religious or spiritual perspectives.

Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa.

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