
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Why? The Purpose of the Universe
Purchase options and add-ons
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.
- ISBN-100198883765
- ISBN-13978-0198883760
- PublisherOxford University Press
- Publication dateNovember 9, 2023
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions8.3 x 1.2 x 6 inches
- Print length208 pages
Frequently bought together

Frequently purchased items with fast delivery
- Value-Selection Hypothesis: Certain of the fixed numbers in physics are as they are because they allow for a universe containing things of significant value.Highlighted by 231 Kindle readers
- We can define cosmic purpose as any hypothesis according to which goal-directedness plays a fundamental role in determining what happens in the universe, in which at the fundamental level certain things happen for the sake of some future goal.Highlighted by 186 Kindle readers
- Whether cosmic purpose is imposed on the universe externally by a supernatural god, or whether it arises from natural tendencies of the universe itself, is irrelevant.Highlighted by 173 Kindle readers
From the Publisher



Editorial Reviews
Review
About the Author
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
- Best Sellers Rank: #162,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #205 in Cosmology (Books)
- #212 in Religion & Philosophy (Books)
- #239 in Astronomy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
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.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
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
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
"Simple yet meaningful..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023Goff 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2024Very 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, 2024Goff 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!
- Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024I 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!
- Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023This 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023Goff 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024In 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024Listening 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.
Top reviews from other countries
- seeReviewed in Canada on January 27, 2024
3.0 out of 5 stars Very tough to read
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
- DavidReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice structure, helpful ways of working with the issues, perhaps not quite a final resolution.
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. HeineReviewed in Germany on March 8, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein glatte Empfehlung
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 GroblerReviewed in Australia on December 15, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars A Breath of Fresh Air in the Universe of Meaning
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 FIRMANReviewed in Germany on January 27, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars A GOOD PRODUCT WHICH I RECEIVED PROMPTLY!
A GOOD PRODUCT WHICH I RECEIVED PROMPTLY!