Person
Every book Philip Goff recommended on podcasts
Philip Goff is a philosopher of mind and academic whose appearances on programs such as the Lex Fridman Podcast and Modern Wisdom reflect a rigorous, specialized engagement with consciousness, panpsychism, and the philosophy of science. Through his discussions, Goff frequently interacts with foundational and contemporary texts to build and critique arguments regarding the hard problem of consciousness. Notably, during his appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast, he recommended William James's classic work The Varieties of Religious Experience, highlighting a specific chapter as still being one of the absolute best treatments of mystical experiences. Goff also referenced his own writing, specifically discussing the final experimental chapter of his book Galileo's Error as a continuation of his cold-blooded case for panpsychism. In addition, he engaged with the philosophy of science by discussing Nancy Cartwright's How the Laws of Physics Lie, utilizing her work to illustrate how physicists may unjustifiably overgeneralize from very specific experimental circumstances. Beyond his own appearances, hosts on related programs like Modern Wisdom have also brought up books in his orbit, such as Nick Bostrom's Superintelligence, when exploring artificial intelligence and the future of humanity. Through these scholarly references, Goff demonstrates a deep commitment to rigorous interdisciplinary dialogue surrounding the mind, physics, and the ultimate nature of reality.
Books recommended by Philip Goff
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The Varieties of Religious Experience
The Varieties of Religious Experience is a foundational 1902 work of psychology and philosophy by William James, based on his Gifford Lectures and exploring the personal, psychological dimensions of faith, mysticism, and spiritual phenomena.
Recommended“still probably the best one of the best works on mystical experience is the chapter in william james's varieties of religious experiences”
Where to get it
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Galileo's Error
Galileo's Error by Philip Goff is a philosophy of mind book that tackles the hard problem of consciousness, arguing that standard physicalist science is fundamentally unequipped to explain subjective experience and proposing panpsychism as a viable alternative.
Discussed“Although I do—the final chapter of my book, Galileo's Era, is more experimental. So the first four chapters are the cold-blooded case for the panpsychist view as the best solution to the hard problem of consciousness.”
Where to get it
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How the laws of physics lie
Discussed“you know my my colleague the philosopher of science nancy cartwright he's got this book how the laws of physics lie where she says you know physicists explore uh things in very specific circumstances and then in an unwarranted way generalize that”
Where to get it
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Lies In a Mirror
Lies in a Mirror by Peter Charleton touches upon philosophical and cultural inquiries, though podcast guests referenced adjacent literary and philosophical contributions.
Discussed“They have an active center that tries to bring people in. I believe they are producing a book that I contributed to, concerning different philosophers' opinions on God and some of the big questions.”
Where to get it
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Superintelligence
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom is a speculative philosophy and science book that examines the existential risks and pathways of developing artificial general intelligence that surpasses human cognitive capabilities.
Discussed“and these questions from nick bostrom and the other guys at the future of humanities institute have been something i've really enjoyed thinking about ever since i read super intelligence”
Where to get it
Books Philip Goff wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #261 – Philip Goff: Consciousness, Panpsychism, and the Philosophy of Mind | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2022-02-03 | 5 |
| What Is Consciousness? - Philip Goff - #272 | Modern Wisdom | 2021-01-21 | 1 |
Other mentions (6: passing, ad reads, own books)
“the final chapter of my book galileo's era is more experimental so the first four chapters are the cold-blooded case for the panzerkist view is that the best solution to the hard problem of consciousness”
“i mean the way i did it i wrote my academic book first it's just some fundamental reality and then a more accessible book galileo's era where the arguments you know not as rigorously worked out so then i can say the proper arguments that you know the further arguments there”
“i mean the way i did it i wrote my academic book first it's just some fundamental reality and then a more accessible book galileo's era where the arguments you know not as rigorously worked out so then i can say the proper arguments that you know the further arguments there”
“i mean the way i did it i wrote my academic book first it's just some fundamental reality and then a more accessible book galileo's era where the arguments you know not as rigorously worked out so then i can say the proper arguments that you know the further arguments there”
“so the subtitle of my book is foundations for a new science of consciousness so i'm not doing science”
“and you know so and what i've tried to press my you know the reason for the title of my book galileo's error is that you know we shouldn't be surprised that our standard scientific approach can't account for consciousness”