Archive of Author | Philip Goff

About Philip Goff

Philip Goff
I am Associate Professor in Philosophy at Central European University in Budapest (a unique and wonderful institution). My main research focus is trying to explain how the brain produces consciousness. I think we need to radically rethink our understanding of matter in order to explain consciousness, in something like the way Einstein radically rethought the nature of space and time. I am also passionate about religion and politics. In terms of religion, I'm a kind of Christian fictionalist, seeing Christianity as a deeply political spiritual practice rather than a set of beliefs about the supernatural. Regarding politics, I am concerned with tax justice and the power of global capital.

I am Associate Professor in Philosophy at Central European University in Budapest (a unique and wonderful institution).

My main research focus is trying to explain how the brain produces consciousness. I think we need to radically rethink our understanding of matter in order to explain consciousness, in something like the way Einstein radically rethought the nature of space and time. I am also passionate about religion and politics. In terms of religion, I’m a kind of Christian fictionalist, seeing Christianity as a deeply political spiritual practice rather than a set of beliefs about the supernatural. Regarding politics, I am concerned with tax justice and the power of global capital.

www.philipgoffphilosophy.com

Twitter @Philip_Goff
Blog www.conscienceandconsciousness.com

Articles with Philip Goff

Consciousness: how can I experience things that aren’t ‘real’?

Philip Goff is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Durham University. A philosopher and consciousness researcher, his research focuses on how to integrate consciousness into our scientific worldview.

“My first academic book, Consciousness and Fundamental Reality (Oxford University Press), was published in 2017 and my first book aimed at a general audience, Galileo’s Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness (Rider in UK, Pantheon in US), was published in November 2019.

I argue that the traditional approaches of materialism (consciousness can be explained in terms of physical processes in the brain) and dualism (consciousness is separate from the body and brain) face insuperable difficulties. On the basis of this I defend a form of panpsychism, the view that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of the physical world. It sounds a bit crazy, but I try to show that it avoids the difficulties faced by its rivals.”

Science as we know it can’t explain consciousness – but a revolution is coming

Philip Goff is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Durham University. His research focuses on how to integrate consciousness into our scientific worldview. His first academic book, ‘Consciousness and Fundamental Reality’ (Oxford University Press), was published in 2017 and his first book aimed at a general audience, ‘Galileo’s Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness’ (Rider in UK, Pantheon in US), was published in2019.

“I argue that the traditional approaches of materialism (consciousness can be explained in terms of physical processes in the brain) and dualism (consciousness is separate from the body and brain) face insuperable difficulties. On the basis of this I defend a form of panpsychism, the view that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of the physical world. It sounds a bit crazy, but I try to show that it avoids the difficulties faced by its rivals.”

Passionate about Consciousness

Philip Goff is an Associate Professor in Philosophy at Central European University in Budapest. HIs main research focus is trying to explain how the brain produces consciousness. In this exclusive interview he discusses how we need to radically rethink our understanding of matter in order to explain consciousness, in something like the way Einstein radically rethought the nature of space and time