Notes
- I've been induced to buy this book by a friend and have just received it from Amazon.
- I'm not an enthusiastic supporter of Philip Goff. I'm highly sceptical of panpsychism but am – as a background task – reading his "Goff (Philip) - Galileo's Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness".
- Panpsychism was discussed very inadequately in "BBC, Bragg (Melvyn) - In Our Time - Panpsychism".
- Goff published a paper summarising the arguments of this book on Aeon: "Goff (Philip) - Purposeful universe".
- After the Inside Cover Blurb, in lieu of my own comments on this book – at least until I’ve read it – I give four reviews or sets of reviews:-
- The first is by a random unappreciative Amazon reviewer which reflects what I'm likely to say.
- The second is a rave review by Keith Ward which strikes me as fundamentally misguided.
- The third is a medley of reviews in the literature printed in the book, many of which are by people I know (or know of). Some are fellow-travellers and some should know better. All – or maybe it’s the OUP editor – seem to take whatever appeals to them and ignore the rest of the book.
- Finally, a few short reviews supplied by Amazon in addition to the above – presumably produced post-publication – some by luminaries.
- I had intended to add my own thoughts to these reviews immediately, but have decided to read the book first.
Inside Cover Blurb
- Western thought has been dominated by the dichotomy of traditional religion and secular atheism. But do we need to choose between these options?
- In this pioneering work, Philip Goff argues that it is time to move on from both God and atheism.
- Through an exploration of contemporary cosmology and cutting-edge philosophical research on consciousness, Goff argues for cosmic purpose: the idea that the universe is directed towards certain goals, such as the emergence of life.
- In contrast to religious thinkers, Goff argues that the traditional God is a bad explanation of cosmic purpose. Instead, he explores a range of alternative possibilities for accounting for cosmic purpose, from the speculation that we live in a computer simulation to the hypothesis that the universe itself is a conscious mind. Goff scrutinizes these options with analytical rigour, laying the foundations for a new paradigm of philosophical enquiry into the middle ground between God and atheism. Ultimately, Goff outlines a way of living in hope that cosmic purpose is still unfolding, involving political engagement and a non-literalist interpretation of traditional religion.
- Philip Goff is Professor of Philosophy at Durham University. His research focuses on consciousness and the ultimate nature of reality. Goff is best known for defending panpsychism, the view that consciousness pervades the universe and is a fundamental feature of it. On that theme, Goff has published three books,
- Consciousness and Fundamental Reality,
- "Goff (Philip) - Galileo's Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness", and
- A co-edited volume, Is Consciousness Everywhere? Essays on Panpsychism.
- Goff has published many academic articles, as well as writing extensively for newspapers and magazines, including Scientific American, The Guardian, Aeon, and the Times Literary Supplement.
Contents
Preface – How to Read this Book – xi
- What’s the Point of Living – 1
- Why Science Points to Purpose – 16
- Why Consciousness Points to Purpose – 47
- Why the Omni-God Probably Doesn’t Exist – 85
- Cosmic Purpose without God – 105
- A Conscious Universe – 124
- Living with Purpose – 137
P.S. "Goff (Philip) - Is taxation theft?" – 151
Endnotes – 159
Acknowledgements – 175
Bibliography – 177
Index – 187
Amazon Customer Review
- I don't write Amazon reviews but this book left me furious.
- The author deals with HUGE concepts such as 'consciousness' existing inside quantum particles and gives absolutely NO genuine evidence for it. A lot of waffle about wave function and self-determining 'choices' being made by inanimate matter. A universe which can direct teleological outcomes but which is not in any clear sense self-aware?
- The book declines into a 'hippy' defence of using mind-altering drugs in order to 'see more clearly' the world around us. Doing so, Goff seems to feel, would have positively affected the Brexit vote, and he makes a very sketchy, barely in passing, defence of Net Zero policies.
- Most bizarrely, having declared the "Omni-God" who is central to Christian theology to be entirely non-existent and not worth considering, Goff then settles for a pencil sketch choice of Anglicanism as his spiritual lodestar along with a weird account of Christ's gospels as a fictional yet enlightening way of deepening one's awareness, but not one's belief.
- The chapters on taxes and wealth distribution were simply insultingly irrelevant.
- The book is badly written, poorly and confusingly argued and is neither credible philosophy nor accurate science.
Reviews excerpted by OUP
- It takes a sort of cosmic chutzpah to announce that your book is going to explain the purpose of the universe, and that predisposed me in its favour before I even began to read the text. But what I enjoyed most was the author's calm and level-headed approach to that fundamental question: Why? I suppose it's the question most young people begin with when they start to develop intellectual curiosity, as well as being the source of every system of religion and of science as well. Philip Goff explains that 'purpose' is not some emotional human need with little ultimate importance, but a quality that seems to be built into the very nature of things. It's nothing less than thrilling to follow his argument, and to regain that sense of connectedness that's so important not just to our well-being, but to our very survival.
→ Philip Pullman
- This book is a tour de force. If you have ever wondered what the point is in living, whether the universe itself has any purpose (and if it does, whether that is best explained by the existence of God), why the universe exists at all for that matter, what the nature of consciousness is and how it fits into the universe as a whole, this is the book for you. Written in an engaging and easy to follow style, Goff presents a highly original, unified, and thought-provoking world view. It is rare to read anything that makes one seriously question one's basic assumptions about reality. Goff's book does just that. The result is something head spinning. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
→ Michael Tye, Professor of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin
- Am I here by accident? Is there a purpose? This is contentious territory in science and philosophy. Goff offers a lucid and riveting account of key ideas, data, and theories. He then, with a rare audacity, blazes new trails. It is fascinating terrain to explore, and Goff proves an expert and genial guide.
→ Donald D. Hoffman, Professor of Cognitive Science, University of California, Irvine
- The best metaphysical pictures help us fulfill three aims:
- Give us a sense of the world and how we as human beings fit within it,
- Provide an ethical guide, and
- Help us make some peace with our condition.
Philip Goff's brilliant new book Why? The Purpose of the Universe does all three by making a compelling case for teleological cosmopsychism. With this unique position that is neither God nor atheism, Goff gives us a glimpse of the immense creative potential of the universe. He outlines an attractive picture of spiritual belonging and practice in a godless world that is far from nihilistic.
→ Helen de Cruz, Danforth Chair in the Humanities, Saint Louis University
- It might sound surprising, but the progress of physics, astronomy and cosmology in recent decades has raised important questions about the meaning and purpose in the universe, and of the universe. "Nature has been kinder to us than we had any right to expect", wrote Freeman Dyson in 1971, "it almost seems as if the universe must in some sense have known that we were coming". So, what now? Philip Goff has provided a discussion of these important issues that is informed, accessible, original and entertaining. This is a book worth reading, and worth thinking hard about.
→ Luke Barnes, Lecturer in Astronomy and Cosmology, Western Sydney University
- Why? is a terrific book. For a work in philosophy, it is unusually fun to read. Goff clearly has a gift for making rigorous philosophy accessible to a broad audience. Part of his genius is the way he weaves his main arguments into a narrative about his own intellectual journey.
→ Paul Draper, Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University
- Why? is simultaneously accessible and profound, comprehensible to the general reader and full of novel ideas sure to challenge professional philosophers. Goff offers an intriguingly weird vision of the cosmos, neither atheistic nor orthodox, pushing beyond the boundaries of both ordinary scientific thinking and ordinary religious apologetics.
→ Eric Schwitzgebel, Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside
- A brilliant book! Goff takes us to the edges of physics and philosophy to make a compelling case for cosmic purpose. The presentation is clear, innovative, and provocative. True to form, Goff's ideas are not anchored to convention or tradition, but he instead lights a torch on an original path of discovery. I came away feeling that Goff's work contributes to the purpose of the universe in a profound and beautiful way. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the big question of why we are here and what life might be about.
→ Josh Rasmussen, Associate Professor of Philosophy. Azusa Pacific University
- What's the meaning of life? Raw science tells us we live in an uncaring universe, devoid of purpose and oblivious to the wants and needs of humans. Or does it? In this new book, Goff explores purpose in the cosmos, not a purpose rooted in religion, but in a conscious fabric of the universe itself. Whilst Goff and I have argued over the implications of cosmological fine-tuning and the statistics of typing monkeys, the contents will certainly make you think about life and its meaning.
→ Geraint Lewis, Professor of Astrophysics, Sydney Institute for Astronomy, the University of Sydney
- One of the most persuasive panpsychists.
→ Stephen Fry
Further Reviews excerpted by Amazon
- Why? makes a succinct, ambitious case for a new, secular view of cosmic purpose.
→ Isaac Randel, Foreword Reviews
- Why? is designed to appeal both to a wide audience who know little about philosophy or physics and to academics who know the relevant technical terms and literature... It is an exciting and challenging book.
→ Richard Swinburne, TLS
- An ingenious and accessible discussion of a big question we'll never answer - the reason for our existence... a rich book... It'll turn quite a few heads.
→ Galen Strawson, The Guardian
- I would strongly recommend this book as a clear, well-argued, and undogmatic example of analytical philosophy at its best.
→ Keith Ward, Church Times
→ See "Ward (Keith) - Review - Goff - Why? The Purpose of the Universe".
Book Comment
OUP Oxford (9 Nov. 2023). Hardback.
Text Colour Conventions (see disclaimer)- Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2025
- Mauve: Text by correspondent(s) or other author(s); © the author(s)