Cosmopsychism: A Critique of the Identity of God and the Universe View

Attempts to ascribe divinity to nature or the universe have been around since time immemorial. Unlike classical theism, these attempts see the universe itself as a god, rather than seeking God outside the universe. Today, we observe a similar debate being expressed in the context of cosmopsychism. Some thinkers argue that the entire universe has a consciousness of its own. Cosmopsychism is the name given to the view that the universe is conscious or exhibits certain psychological properties. For some, this makes it possible to see the universe as a god. Of course, the idea of such a god differs from classical theism’s conception of god in many respects. For example, the cosmos-god put forward in the cosmopsychist context is not an omnipotent god, capable of performing miracles, communicating with human beings, or having certain expectations from them such as worship. However, according to these thinkers, this is not an obstacle to seeing him as a god. For he still bears a number of attributes that we can call divine. Some of these attributes are being unique, omniscient, and worthy of reverence. In other words, the universe has a unique consciousness, it is unique, and there is no greater, and therefore worthy of reverence, and at the same time, it is omniscient because it is aware of every change in the universe. Cosmopsychists such as Philip Goff and David Skrbina argue that such a being can be seen as a god. They even argue that such an understanding of God is more plausible than theism. However, there are many issues open to debate here. What does it mean for the universe to be conscious? Why is a being without absolute power worthy of reverence as a god? Or what are the benefits of such a belief in God? In the context of these questions, this study aims to critically address the current claims (by philosophers such as Goff and Skrbina) that the universe is god. It is argued here that even if consciousness is attributed to the universe, it cannot be seen as a god, as it lacks the important qualities required for this. It is also argued that the mere fact that a being has a consciousness greater than ours does not lead us to conclude that it is worthy of reverence.