What is consciousness? Why does it even exist? It has long been treated as the byproduct of biological complexity. The more complicated the brain, the more self-aware. Other thinkers have seen consciousness as totally distinct from the body — dualism. But maybe consciousness, like space and time, mass and energy, is just a basic characteristic of the universe. Maybe it's a fundamental property of matter. Welcome to the concept of "panpsychism". It's a radical-sounding idea and it could prove vital for us in radically rethinking how we think about reality itself. It's been said that the only thing we know for certain is our own experience. But how do we account for this most subjective phenomenon within the science of consciousness? How can science with its objective metrics even begin to engage with the felt nature of the inner subjective life? Philip Goff, professor of philosophy at Durham University, is a proponent of an emerging theory intended to shed light on the problem of consciousness — a theory called "panpsychism". In this program, he discusses these issues with Naheed Mustafa in an episode of the cbc podcast "Ideas". For more information: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/panpsychism-and-the-nature-of-consciousness-1.4822151 #Philosophy #Consciousness