#150 Materialist AND Panpsychism are True - Galen Strawson

Galen Strawson, a self-described physicalist and panpsychist, argues that consciousness is not a mysterious anomaly but a fundamental feature of reality—something physics cannot describe but must account for. He challenges the common assumption that the physical world is inherently non-conscious, pointing out that physics only describes relations between entities, not their intrinsic nature. This 'silence of physics' opens the door to the radical idea that consciousness might be present at the most basic level of reality. Strawson contends that if everything is physical and consciousness is real, then it must be physically grounded—implying it cannot emerge from purely non-conscious matter, which would require 'radical emergence,' a concept he finds theoretically extravagant and unintelligible. Instead, he proposes that consciousness is already present in the fundamental fabric of the universe, not as a product of complexity but as a primitive property of matter itself. He rejects the idea that consciousness requires brains or intelligence, emphasizing that even simple experiences are forms of consciousness. The conversation also dismantles the myth of 'conscious AI,' arguing that intelligence and consciousness are distinct, and that structural isomorphism with the brain does not guarantee consciousness—only biological replication might.