Quantum Panprotopsychism and the Structure and Subject-Summing Combination Problem

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

In a previous paper, we have shown that an ontology of quantum mechanics in terms of states and events with internal phenomenal aspects, that is, a form of panprotopsychism, is well suited to explaining consciousness. We have proved there that the palette and grain combination problems of panpsychism and pan-protopsychism arise from implicit hypotheses based on classical physics about supervenience that are inappropriate at the quantum level, where an exponential number of emergent properties and states arise. In this article, we address what is probably the first and most important combination problem of panpsychism: the subject-summing problem originally posed by William James. Due to the indeterminacy of quantum mechanics and its causal openness, this ontology also seems to be suitable for the analysis of the remaining aspects of the structure combination problem that treat about how the structuration capacity of consciousness evolved from primitive animals to humans.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of Consciousness Studies

First Page

7

Last Page

32

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