Why? The Purpose of the Universe

1. The Universe's Purpose: Beyond Randomness

The fact that we have overwhelming evidence for the Value-Selection Hypothesis, therefore, entails that we have overwhelming evidence for cosmic purpose.

Fine-tuning for life. The constants of physics fall within an incredibly narrow range that allows for the existence of life. If these constants were even slightly different, the universe would be devoid of complexity. This fine-tuning suggests that the universe is not simply a product of random chance.

Value-Selection Hypothesis. The Value-Selection Hypothesis posits that the constants of physics are as they are because they allow for a universe containing things of significant value. This hypothesis challenges the notion that the universe is meaningless and without purpose. The evidence for fine-tuning is so overwhelming that it is more rational to accept the Value-Selection Hypothesis than to attribute it to chance.

Cultural resistance. Despite the evidence, the scientific community has been slow to embrace the idea of cosmic purpose. This resistance stems from a deeply ingrained worldview that rejects any form of goal-directedness at the fundamental level of reality. Overcoming this cultural bias is essential for a more accurate understanding of the universe.

2. Consciousness: A Fundamental Datum

The reality of consciousness is a fundamental datum over and above the data of public observation and experiment.

Beyond public observation. Consciousness is not something we can observe through experiments. Instead, we know it exists through our immediate awareness of our own feelings and experiences. This private reality of consciousness is a fundamental aspect of existence that any adequate theory must account for.

Challenging scientific norms. The reality of consciousness challenges the conventional scientific approach, which relies solely on public observation and experiment. To accommodate consciousness, we must expand our understanding of how we find out about reality. This requires embracing a more philosophical approach.

Two radical options. Acknowledging the non-public nature of consciousness forces us to choose between denying its existence or accepting that science is not the full story of reality. The latter option opens the door to a more expansive and inclusive understanding of the universe.

3. Experiential Understanding: The Human Advantage

It is experiential understanding that makes life worth living, and yet it’s hard to see how our standard scientific account of how we came into existence—Darwinian natural selection—could explain the existence of experiential understanding.

Meaning beyond sensation. Human consciousness is not limited to raw sensations like colors and sounds. It also encompasses experiential understanding, which is the conscious grasp of what things are and mean. This understanding is integral to our experience of the world.

Meaning zombies. Meaning zombies are hypothetical beings that have conscious experiences but lack experiential understanding. They can behave like normal humans, but their inner lives are devoid of meaning. The existence of meaning zombies raises the question of why we evolved to have experiential understanding.

Evolutionary puzzle. Natural selection favors traits that enhance survival and reproduction. Since meaning zombies would behave identically to humans, it's difficult to explain why experiential understanding evolved. This poses a significant challenge to our current understanding of evolution.

4. Pan-Agentialism: Agency at the Core of Reality

Particles are never compelled to do anything, but are rather disposed, from their own nature, to respond rationally to their experience.

Proto-agency. Pan-agentialism proposes that agency, in a rudimentary form, exists at the fundamental level of physical reality. Particles are not simply compelled to behave in a certain way, but rather are disposed to respond rationally to their conscious inclinations. This challenges the traditional view of the inanimate world as purely mechanistic.

Rational responsiveness. The capacity for rational responsiveness, present in particles, flowers into complex agency when combined with experiential understanding. This allows organisms to pursue goals and navigate the world in a meaningful way. Human beings can choose whether to follow their desires or their value judgements.

Three stages of agency:

• Proto-agency: Particles respond to immediate inclinations
• Agency: Organisms pursue desires in the light of understanding
• Free will: Humans choose between inclinations and value judgements

5. The Mystery of Psycho-Physical Harmony

If there is no logical connection between our experience and the behaviour that results from it, why would it be that conscious experience and behaviour line up in a rationally appropriate way?

Rational alignment. There is a remarkable alignment between our conscious experiences and our behavior. We tend to pursue what feels good and avoid what feels bad. This alignment is so common that we take it for granted, but it requires explanation.

Inverted Ian. Inverted Ian is a hypothetical person whose conscious aversions cause him to seek out what he dislikes, and whose attractions cause him to avoid what he desires. Ian's behavior is rationally inappropriate, highlighting the need to explain why our experiences and behaviors are typically aligned. The fact that we tend to respond rationally to our experiences is the very thing we are trying to explain.

Pan-agentialism's role. Pan-agentialism offers a solution to the mystery of psycho-physical harmony by proposing that matter is inherently disposed to respond rationally to its experience. This inherent disposition ensures that our behavior is generally aligned with our conscious states.

6. The Omni-God: A Problematic Explanation

As author of our being [God] would have rights over us that we do not have over our fellow humans.

The problem of evil. The existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, and perfectly loving God (Omni-God) is difficult to reconcile with the existence of evil and suffering in the world. If God has the power to prevent suffering, why does She choose not to? This is the problem of evil.

Theodicies. Theodicies are attempts to explain why God allows evil. The free will theodicy argues that God gave us free will, which allows us to choose evil. However, this doesn't explain natural disasters. Swinburne argues that nature's cruelty is required for us to have knowledge of how to cause good and evil, a prerequisite of moral choice.

The Cosmic Sin Intuition. The Cosmic Sin Intuition states that it would be immoral for an all-powerful being to deliberately create a universe like ours, with its inherent suffering. This intuition challenges the notion of a morally perfect creator.

7. Cosmic Purpose without a Perfect God

It’s high time we tried to formulate a hypothesis able to account for both the evidence of cosmic purpose and the reality of evil and suffering.

Beyond the dichotomy. The traditional debate between the Omni-God and materialist atheism is too limiting. There are other possibilities for explaining cosmic purpose that do not rely on a perfect creator. These include non-standard designers, teleological laws, and cosmopsychism.

Non-standard designers. One possibility is that the universe was created by a designer who is not all-powerful or perfectly good. This could be an evil designer, an amoral designer, or a limited designer. The limited designer hypothesis, which posits a designer with limited power, is particularly compelling.

Teleological laws. Another possibility is that the universe is governed by teleological laws, which are laws of nature with goals built into them. These laws could be directed towards the emergence of life or other values. Teleological laws offer a way to account for cosmic purpose without invoking a designer.

8. Teleological Cosmopsychism: A Conscious Universe

For the Russellian panpsychist, it is consciousness that breathes fire into the equations.

Consciousness as fundamental. Teleological cosmopsychism proposes that the universe itself is a conscious mind with purposes of its own. This view combines panpsychism, the idea that consciousness is fundamental, with the notion of teleological laws. The universe is driven to maximize the good.

The wave function. On this view, the wave function, which governs the behavior of particles, is a conscious entity that is aware of the complete future consequences of the options available to it. The wave function fine-tunes the universe to allow for the emergence of life and other values.

A surprisingly economical explanation. Teleological cosmopsychism is a surprisingly economical explanation of cosmic purpose. It accounts for fine-tuning, consciousness, and the laws of physics with a minimal number of assumptions.

9. Spiritual Advancement: Breaking Cultural Conditioning

True ethics is a concern to make reality better.

Beyond material gain. True ethics is not simply about personal gain or social status. It is about making reality better, contributing to the unfolding of cosmic purpose. This requires a shift in perspective from self-centeredness to a broader concern for the well-being of the universe.

Breaking conditioning. Spiritual advancement involves breaking free from culturally conditioned ways of experiencing reality. This can be achieved through meditation, art, and psychedelics. By challenging our assumptions, we can gain a deeper understanding of the world.

Mystical experiences. Mystical experiences offer a glimpse into a higher form of consciousness, a direct encounter with the living presence that exists in all things. These experiences can provide a sense of connection to the More and inspire a commitment to spiritual advancement.

10. Economic Justice: A Spiritual Imperative

We have every reason to feel optimistic about the future.

Beyond self-interest. Economic justice is not simply a matter of fairness or efficiency. It is a spiritual imperative, a way of making reality better by creating a more equitable and compassionate society. This requires challenging the myth of natural property rights.

Participatory socialism. Thomas Piketty's vision of participatory socialism offers a framework for creating a more just economy. This system emphasizes temporary ownership, wealth redistribution, and a universal inheritance.

A political and spiritual movement. The fight for economic justice must be both political and spiritual. By challenging our conditioned ways of seeing the world and embracing a vision of cosmic purpose, we can create a more just and meaningful society.

11. Cosmic Purposivism: Living with Meaning

We have every reason to feel optimistic about the future.

A new optimism. Cosmic purposivism offers a new source of optimism and meaning in a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain. By recognizing our role in the unfolding of cosmic purpose, we can find a sense of direction and hope.

Transforming our ethical situation. The existence of cosmic purpose transforms our ethical situation. It elevates our actions from mere self-interest to contributions to the greater good of the universe.

A call to action. Cosmic purposivism is a call to action, an invitation to participate in the ongoing evolution of the universe. By striving to make the world better, we can contribute to the realization of a higher state of existence.

Last updated: February 11, 2025