عنوان

What Does Philip Pullman's Panpsychism Imply? Freedom of Decision in His Dark Materials

Number

TLpq2404394328

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

What Does Philip Pullman's Panpsychism Imply? Freedom of Decision in His Dark Materials

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Akers, Sarah Eguia

Subsequent Statement of Responsibility

Scott, Kevin M

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

The University of West Florida

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2020

Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item

44

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

M.A.

Body granting the degree

The University of West Florida

Text preceding or following the note

2020

Text of Note

The philosopher Galen Strawson and the author Philip Pullman explore the point of view that entities such as human beings and subatomic particles have subjective experience. The former scholar explores this theory through philosophical argumentation, and the latter scholar explores it through writing two series of novels; however, while Strawson argues for the theory, Pullman shows the ethical implications of the theory by referring to its consequences in terms of interactions among his characters. These implications include freedom of decision in every entity and freedom of thought in every human or self-conscious creature. Each implication appears when the characters make their own decisions about how to view politics, religion, science, and ethics. In referring to these implications within the novels, I present a hypothetical dialogue between Strawson and Pullman. The importance of this dialogue concerns how far Pullman takes the theory in comparison to how far Strawson takes the theory, especially in terms of insisting on one's moral responsibility, right to speculate, and need to connect with one's environment. The existence of meaning becomes particularly important when considering the existence of meaning in the subatomic scale and human scale. This hypothetical dialogue shows need for meaning which the theory suggests.

Dark matter

Free will

Imagination

Panpsychism

Pullman, Philip

Strawson, Galen

Akers, Sarah Eguia

Scott, Kevin M

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y