panexperientialist

Panexperientialism is a philosophical concept that posits consciousness or sentience is a fundamental and pervasive feature of reality. This view suggests that every entity, down to the most basic physical components of the universe, possesses some degree of experience, however rudimentary. It is not necessarily about attributing human-like consciousness to inanimate objects, but rather about the idea that the subjective aspect of existence, the "what it is like" to be something, is present in all things.

This perspective stands in contrast to philosophies that view consciousness as an emergent property that arises only in complex biological organisms. Panexperientialists argue that if consciousness were purely an emergent phenomenon, it would be difficult to explain how it arises from non-conscious matter. Instead, they propose that experience is a basic ingredient of the universe, and that the complex consciousness we observe in humans is a more sophisticated form of this fundamental property.

Different interpretations of panexperientialism exist. Some versions focus on the idea of "proto-consciousness" or "mentality" in fundamental particles, while others emphasize the interconnectedness of all experience. The implications of panexperientialism are far-reaching, potentially influencing discussions in metaphysics, ethics, and the philosophy of mind by suggesting a radically different understanding of the nature of being and the place of consciousness within it.