panpsychism

panpsychism
Either the view that all parts of matter involve consciousness, or the more holistic view that the whole world ‘is but the veil of an infinite realm of mental life’ ( Lotze ). The world, or nature, produces living creatures, and accordingly ought to be thought of as itself an alive and animated organism, literally describable as possessing reason, emotion, and a ‘world-soul’. The view that man is a microcosm, or small version of the cosmos, which can therefore be understood in anthropomorphic terms, is a staple 276 theme in Greek philosophy. It passed into the medieval period via Neoplatonism, and became shared by Leibniz, Schopenhauer, Schelling, and many others. Its most intelligible modern version is perhaps the view that for environmental reasons we do well to think as if the world is a complex organism (sometimes rather preciously called Gaia), whose unity is as fragile as that of any living thing.

Philosophy dictionary. . 2011.

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  • Panpsychism — Panpsychism, in philosophy, is either the view that all parts of matter involve mind, or the more holistic view that the whole universe is an organism that possesses a mind (see Pantheism and Panentheism). It is thus a stronger and more ambitious …   Wikipedia

  • Panpsychism — • A philosophical theory which holds that everything in the universe, inorganic and organic, has some degree of consciousness Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Panpsychism     Panpsychism …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Panpsychism — Pan*psy chism, n. [See {Pan }; {Psychic}.] The theory that all nature is psychical or has a psychical aspect; the theory that every particle of matter has a psychical character or aspect. {Pan*psy chic}, a. {Pan*psy chist}, n. {Pan psy*chis tic} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • panpsychism — pan·psy·chism (păn sīʹkĭz əm) n. The view that all matter has consciousness. * * * ▪ philosophy       (from Greek pan, “all”; psychē, “soul”), a philosophical theory asserting that a plurality of separate and distinct psychic beings or minds… …   Universalium

  • Panpsychism — either the view that all parts of matter involve mind, or the more holistic view that the whole universe is an organism that possesses a mind. It is thus a stronger and more ambitious view than hylozoism, which holds only that all things are… …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • panpsychism — noun a) A philosophy which holds that all parts of matter involve mind. b) A philosophy which holds that the whole universe is an organism that possesses a mind …   Wiktionary

  • panpsychism — theory that all nature has a psychic side Philosophical Isms …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • panpsychism — n. theory and philosophy that everything in the world has a consciousness and a psychic side …   English contemporary dictionary

  • panpsychism — [pan sʌɪkɪz(ə)m] noun the doctrine or belief that everything material, however small, has an element of individual consciousness. Derivatives panpsychist adjective &noun …   English new terms dictionary

  • panpsychism — pan·psychism …   English syllables

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