Review of D. S. Clarke's Book: Panpsychism and the Religious Attitude

Abstract

Clarke writes much on the difficulties that humanists and universal mechanism have in explaining consciousness. There is basically no way to extend a one-way chain of forward causes and thereby solve the origination problem. That is, there is no way to explain a proto-mentality that has no adaptive advantage as the original mentality. Clarke argues that mentality must have been always present, that it is an eternal quality. And he also extends his insights into biological evolution. Clarke attributes mentality to all natural bodies exhibiting unity of organization and homeostasis. His view is a type of restricted panpsychism he calls "atheistic panpsychism". You can find this book at Amazon: Panpsychism and the Religious Attitude.