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Why? The Purpose of the Universe

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 173 ratings

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Why are we here? What's the point of existence? On the 'big questions' of meaning and purpose, Western thought has been dominated by the dichotomy of traditional religion and secular atheism. 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.

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Why? The Purpose of the Universe
Why? The Purpose of the Universe
Why? The Purpose of the Universe

Editorial Reviews

Review

"fascinatingâ an enjoyable read" -- Brian Clegg, Popular Science

"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 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

"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

"An original and fascinating book." -- Wouter van Noort, NRC Handelsblad

"Goff's Why? is an immensely stimulating contribution to many areas of philosophy, and I do not know of a book that better illustrates the adage multum in parvo." -- David Gordon, Philosophical Quarterly

"While Goff is not a Christian in any conventional sense, Christians should welcome the hopeful view of the world contained in the pages of his book, the sense of almost mystical wonder and intellectual adventure that animates his thought, the refreshingly noncombative tone of his writing, and his generous assessment of philosophers and theologians with very different views from his own... His book is an invitation to ask big questions and search for the truth but not a demand that one accept all of his conclusions." -- Ian Curran, Christian Century

"ambitious book." -- Choice

"In this highly readable book, Philip Goff explores the purpose of the universe, starting from its remarkable fine-tuning. He argues for a close association between purpose and consciousness, and is dissatisfied with regarding fine-tuning as a brute fact. He argues against both traditional theism and various other non-traditional designers, and espouses a teleological cosmopsychism. Regardless of whether readers agree with that conclusion, this is a rigorous and brilliant examination of what can and can't be concluded from the fine-tuning of the universe." --

"In this highly readable book, Philip Goff explores the purpose of the universe, starting from its remarkable fine-tuning. He argues for a close association between purpose and consciousness, and is dissatisfied with regarding fine-tuning as a brute fact. He argues against both traditional theism and various other non-traditional designers, and espouses a teleological cosmopsychism. Regardless of whether readers agree with that conclusion, this is a rigorous and brilliant examination of what can and can't be concluded from the fine-tuning of the universe." -- The Committee of the ISSR Book Prize 2024, The International Society for Science & Religion

"In this highly readable book, Philip Goff explores the purpose of the universe, starting from its remarkable fine-tuning. He argues for a close association between purpose and consciousness, and is dissatisfied with regarding fine-tuning as a brute fact. He argues against both traditional theism and various other non-traditional designers, and espouses a teleological cosmopsychism. Regardless of whether readers agree with that conclusion, this is a rigorous and brilliant examination of what can and can't be concluded from the fine-tuning of the universe." --

"For those reading from a theological or philosophical perspective, Goff con-fronts many of the perennially difficult themes related to "why": the meaning of the universe and of life itself, the validity of human experience and knowledge, evolution, artificial intelligence, divinity, the human soul, free will and sin, spirituality, dualism and monism, atheism and nihilism. What-ever the persuasion of the reader, he will find reasons to reconsider and re-formulate some of his standard responses to these questions." -- Jordan Fahnestock, Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology

About the Author

Philip Goff, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University

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, 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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (November 9, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0198883765
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0198883760
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.3 x 1.2 x 6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 173 ratings

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Customers find the book thought-provoking and accessible. It provides a thorough treatment of the subject matter of consciousness, the universe's purpose, and human endeavor to discover reality. They appreciate the insightful analysis and easy-to-understand examples.

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7 customers mention "Thought provoking"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They appreciate the thorough treatment of the subject matter of consciousness, the universe's purpose, and human endeavor to discover reality. The analysis and insights are meaningful, with many thought experiments and deep dives into information. Overall, the book offers a point of view worth considering and is fun in this finely-tuned, consciousness-soaked universe.

"...the balance between being palatable to the masses but also deep and engaging for those looking for something profound...." Read more

"Very thorough treatment of the subject matter of Consciousness, universe's purpose and human endeavor to discover the reality...." Read more

"...he definitely seems to be having fun in this finely-tuned, consciousness-soaked universe!" Read more

"...There are many thought experiments and deep dives into info -that are great." Read more

3 customers mention "Accessibility"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's accessibility. They find the ideas clear with easy-to-understand examples. The book is described as simple yet meaningful.

"...Philip Goff communicates his ideas clearly with easy to grasp examples...." Read more

"A brilliant, accessible little book...for the first 140 pages. Panpsychism is more an attitude, a point of view well worth consideration...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
    Goff definitely struck the balance between being palatable to the masses but also deep and engaging for those looking for something profound.

    I recommend it to anyone interested cosmopsychism/panpsychism and consciousness studies in general.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2024
    Very thorough treatment of the subject matter of Consciousness, universe's purpose and human endeavor to discover the reality. But for the inexplicable inclusion of a discussion on unrelated topic of property ownership, made total sense
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
    Goff is known to entertain some provocative ideas and and he's made a good case for some, particularly panpsychism. But this book is off the rails, more about what he hopes is true (the universe somehow wants life to arise) than what there's good reason to really believe. There's no doubt about the starting point, though: we're conscious; the universe is finely-tuned to permit life. Those are hard nuts to crack and we're so far from having an explanation that I suppose it's unfair to dismiss any attempts. But I listened to the audio book and while this might just be the reader's style (he sounds like Martin Short on a day when he's very proud of myself), Goff comes across as condescending toward anyone who doesn't agree with him, like they took their positions purely for his entertainment. But he definitely seems to be having fun in this finely-tuned, consciousness-soaked universe!
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
    I enjoyed reading this book tremendously, probably even more so then his previous book "Galileo's error" (that was excellent as well). Philip Goff communicates his ideas clearly with easy to grasp examples. Some parts of the book are more challenging than others, but, provided one spends enough time on more challenging parts, most readers will be able to get a very clear picture of Goff's metaphysical views that are fascinating to contemplate. Bravo!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023
    This is one of those books that you will want to read a few pages at a time and then reflect on the info before moving to the next few pages. There are many thought experiments and deep dives into info -that are great.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023
    Goff clarifies the significance--vast--of the "fine tuning" of the constants that govern the universe and imply that life is not an accidental by-product of some universal, random stew but rather the goal of an exquisitely calibrated cosmos. This is a finding in physics of which I was vaguely aware; this book pursues it effectively and allows one to add it to one's vision of things. This is also the place to become familiar with the idea of "panpsychism", which recognizes purpose and consciousness in the universe down to the smallest objects--as if even electrons have rudimentary motivation. The message here--rare coming from trained scientists and philosophers--is that consciousness is central to the universe. Much of our science, so very brilliant, leaves us as orphans in a universe concerned with other things.
    Like other Amazon reviewers, I'm critical of Goff's more or less inexplicable descent from the illuminating expositions in earlier chapters to a set of chapters concerned with. . . taxation, especially in the UK. All the same, Goff is an author to care about and learn from.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
    In this work, Philip Goff addresses several of the most important philosophical question that have eluded reductionist science. Intricately related, these questions concern universal fine-tuning, the mind-body problem, and purpose as a driving force in the universe.

    How did it happen that the cosmological constants, involving the masses of particles and the laws of nature, arose to be just perfect to enable life to emerge on this planet. The odds of this fine-tuning by pure chance are 1 chance in 10 raised to the power of 136 according to Goff. These unlikely events must be due either to design, irrational coincidence, inherent universal purpose, or the popular but non-evidential idea of multiverses.

    The rationale put forth by those advocating for the multiverse hypothesis appeal to the laws of probability, proposing that there are an infinite number of universes, most of which have constants and laws that are not conducive for the emergence of life, but we just happen to live in one of those universes in which the laws are perfectly attuned for life—a very convenient idea with little scientific support.

    Goff says that advocates of the multiverse idea have fallen victim to at least two common logical errors called the “inverse gambler’s fallacy,” and the “weak anthropic principle.” The weak anthropic principle states that the laws of the universe must be as they are, because if the laws were different, we would not be here to ponder them. This rationale does not rise to the status of a principle, but is just a tautology, a syllogism, in which the premise is restated in the conclusion and therefore nothing new is learned; likewise, those who fall victim to the inverse gambler’s fallacy are amazed that the universe is fine-tuned for life and conclude that there must be many other universes which are not fine-tuned—an erroneous argument at its core. Eliminating these fallacious arguments for the fine-tuning conundrum, as well as arguments for blind coincidence and God as a designer, Goff advocates for a rational universe that fine-tunes itself.

    Goff argues for a form of panpsychism he calls pan-agentialism, in which particles of matter respond to their experiences. He claims that observational evidence supports the idea that particles are purposeful, but purpose in Goff’s view does not imply design. Goff says, “If the laws of physics had been fine-tuned for life but the universe did not contain rational matter…it is highly unlikely that experiential understanding would have evolved. Fine-tuning and rational matter need each other to produce creatures that can understand and respond to what things are and mean.”

    Panpsychism also offers a solution to the mind-body problem according to Goff. Materialist science has not even come close to explaining how the material brain produces conscious experience but he thinks that consciousness will be discovered to be strongly emergent. I was unclear on Goff’s explanation of how panpsychism offers a solution to the mind-body problem in this regard.

    I was not at all convinced of Goff’s panpsychist ideas, but I was receptive and enlightened by his arguments that the universe is purposeful and fine-tunes itself.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
    Listening to it makes it easier to understand and, often, amusing. Quite a lively and interesting guy. One of my all-time favorite books. He goes off-track at the end, but there's a rationale for it that fits with what he says before. It just would have been better to have quit somewhere in Chapter 7. Nonetheless, highly recommended.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • see
    3.0 out of 5 stars Very tough to read
    Reviewed in Canada on January 27, 2024
    Skipped some parts of the book . I got a little bit of information from reading.Not sure if I would be able to recommend it
  • David
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice structure, helpful ways of working with the issues, perhaps not quite a final resolution.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2024
    Nicely written, well structured. Very nice approaches to some of the issues, notably around the problem of evil. I liked some of the ideas around “teleological” laws. And the extension of similar thinking to an evil god, or an aesthetician god, and so on, to clarify the key points there. Nicely done.

    But there is a strange sort of relationship between philosophical approaches, eg use of Occam’s Razor and such like, and scientific ones, eg interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, ideas around pilot wave and such like. Ditto the references to Bayseian probabilistic thinking.

    I found parts at the end, covering specific issues around taxation and such like, a bit odd. I do see that ultimately a “big” theory around cosmology and the mind-body problem / other aspects of metaphysics could and *should* cover / explain ethics … or intuitions about that … but I would have expected either a broader treatment of that area, or none. Rather than a seemingly random homing-in on one or two specific issues. For me, ethics IS grounded in an awareness based in some specific parts of metaphysics … notably, the recognition by conscious agents of each other AS conscious agents, with intention and capacity for pain, pleasure, desire, support, frustration and such like. But we got nowhere near that issue.

    Broadly speaking, I think I share some of Goff’s hunches. But I don’t think he has quite provided a watertight argument in favour of (his version of) panpsychism, or pan-agentialism. I do have the same intuition about the clear and obvious impossibility of absolute / flat materialism, and perhaps some of the same discomfort with dualism.

    I think maybe we might need a bit more depth around notions of the pilot wave interpretation of quantum mechanics, comparing and contrasting with wave function “collapse” etc, and the establishment of such things as a universe constrained by Boolean logic, whatever the “underlying” relationship between spacetime / matter/energy / quantum fields and “mind”, or “observation” may turn out to be. And perhaps, if we are moving toward pan-agentialism, more about the notion of “intention” as a key part of (our kind of) consciousness. Further … some re-hashing of ideas about minds / “being” / time / and experienced time versus the physical dimension of time / time’s arrow / entropy out there in the universe, might have been helpful. And if there is purpose here, some more fleshing out of ideas around the ultimate outcome of the universe, might be helpful … for example if there will ultimately be a low-energy heatdeath after the evaporation of black holes and so on, that seems like a very thin justification for the laws of physics, or any or the history of the universe that we currently know about. Or any sign of a guiding intention / purpose. He mentions these points, but I don’t think he goes deeply enough into this area.
  • M. Heine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ein glatte Empfehlung
    Reviewed in Germany on March 8, 2024
    Dieses Buch stellt eine Weiterentwicklung von Goffs Ideen über Bewusstsein (Consciousness) und insbesondere seine Ideen über Panpsychismus (Cosmopsychism). Er verteidigt die These, dass das Universum Sinn und Zweck hat auch in Abwesenheit eines göttlichen Erschaffers. Seine These wendet sich sowohl gegen Theismus wie Atheismus. Alle Kapitel sind unterteilt in einen etwas allgemeiner einführenden Teil und einen tiefer ins philosophische gehenden Teil.
    Dies ermöglicht es unterschiedlichsten Lesern seiner Argumentation zu folgen, ohne von technischen Diskussionen überfordert zu sein.
    Persönlich finde ich seine These und vieler seiner Gedanken äußerst spannend, auch waren z.B. seine Überlegungen zur Problematik des "Bösen" faszinierend. Dennoch bin ich nicht vollends überzeugt. Das Lesen dieses Buches kann aber getrost jedem philosophisch Interessiertem empfohlen werden.
  • Johan Grobler
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Breath of Fresh Air in the Universe of Meaning
    Reviewed in Australia on December 15, 2023
    This is a really good book. It shows that the universe is not nihilistic. Conclusion is we are moving in a direction, albeit not quite centered around humans. Let's help make reality better.
  • EDWARD FIRMAN
    5.0 out of 5 stars A GOOD PRODUCT WHICH I RECEIVED PROMPTLY!
    Reviewed in Germany on January 27, 2024
    A GOOD PRODUCT WHICH I RECEIVED PROMPTLY!