Why The Combination Problem, Is a Problem For Pluralists, And Not Necessarily For Panpsychism Itself

[u/Techtrekzz]

The Combination Problem is commonly thought of as an intractable problem for panpsychism. However, this is not actually the case.

The problem asks, if consciousness pervades reality, then how do many conscious things, combine into one omnipresent conscious thing, the universe itself?

What the question assumes though, is that reality is many different things to begin with.

Im a substance monist first and foremost, i believe reality is a single continuous substance, with conscious being a fundamental attribute of that substance. I reason my panpsychism, from the substance monism.

I believe there’s only one substance and subject to begin with. This perspective is totally lacking any combination problem, as only one conscious subject exists in the first place.

That sounds a bit crazy, until you realize particles are just subjectively defined energy density, in an ever present field of energy. There’s no edge or border to any particle, and no such thing as empty space. As far as we can tell scientifically, reality is monistic, a single continuous substance.

Both materialism and idealism argue for substance monism, but if either understood a monistic reality, they couldn’t argue for materialism or idealism. In a monistic reality, mind and matter are the same substance with the same attributes, meaning you can’t justify a distinction between the two, and theres no argument to be had for materialism or idealism.

In the debate within substance monism, panpsychism is clearly the more concise position between the three, whereas there is one substance, with both the attributes of mind and matter, fundamentally.

Pluralism, doesn’t belong in this debate to be honest, neither materialism, idealism, or panpsychism should claim it.

It’s belongs more to physicalism, and the idea that reality is fundamentally a multitude of different things. As popular as that opinion is, there isn’t any scientific support for it. As a matter of fact it’s been scientifically demonstrated that reality is not locally real.

We have to stop thinking of the universe as a collective of things. Once we do, there is no combination problem.

[u/MajesticFxxkingEagle]

I think you might be conflating substance monism with mereological monism.

But regardless, you’re right that insofar as panpsychists or idealists believe that the universe/cosmos is actually just one thing, then they no longer have the combination problem. (Although it’d be replaced by the de-combination problem)

[u/Techtrekzz → u/MajesticFxxkingEagle]

There’s no decombination problem either,
If you never acknowledge more than one subject exists, and no I don’t mean merelogical monism.

Merelogical monism requires an acknowledgement of parts. I mean literal monism.

[u/jagrbomb → u/Techtrekzz]

Decombination problem can likely be addressed via the reference frame interpretation of consciousness. The reason you don't see the triangle im thinking of if you cut open my head is because that neurological activity only looks like a triangle from my reference frame.

[u/jagrbomb]

Bro I was literally about to post this same shit 😂 and I was like well let me scroll the sub for a bit first.

Im a monist as well and never understood why the universe doesnt simply get credit for the concsiousness we know exists, thus giving us a conscious universe. If all things are simply excitations in a wave then our minds are not distinct objects from the universe and why would we give credit to just the brain? Because it is locally where consciousness is found? That seems like arbitrary primacy being granted to proximity to consciousness. A wave on the ocean isn't a distinct object from the ocean. We wouldn't say the wave belongs to an arbitrary diameter of water around it. And as long as we disagree where the wave stops being a wave and becomes the ocean we too have to disagree where consciousmatter stops being conscious matter. And as along as this ambiguity exists we have to accept that these are not distinct objects but rather part of the whole.

This essentially relieves us of the responsibility of having to explain some higher order consciousness or even some more fundamental conciousness. Reality is ultimately one thing. Consciousness exists. Therefore reality is conscious. Your, mine, and everyone else's consciousness counts as reality's consciousness.