Head to head
Seth’s Beast Machine Theory vs Strawson’s Panpsychism
Seth’s “Beast Machine” Theory and Strawson’s Panpsychism Theory, compared field by field from their entries in the Atlas.
At a glance
- Seth’s Beast Machine Theory belongs to the Materialism family in Kuhn's Landscape of Consciousness, Strawson’s Panpsychism to Panpsychism.
- Seth’s Beast Machine Theory treats consciousness as emergent; Strawson’s Panpsychism treats it as fundamental.
- They give the same kind of answer on AI consciousness, life after death and mind uploading.
- On meaning and purpose, Seth’s Beast Machine Theory says “Humanistic only” and Strawson’s Panpsychism says “Uncertain”.
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The claim
In brief
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryThis theory posits that conscious experiences, including perceptions of the world and the self, are forms of brain-based perceptual prediction, metaphorically termed 'controlled hallucinations' . It roots the mechanism of consciousness in the fundamental biological imperative to regulate bodily physiology in order to stay alive .
Strawson’s PanpsychismStrawson argues that any philosopher taking a realistic view of physicalism must accept that all physical phenomena are intrinsically experiential or phenomenal, leading to panpsychism (or panexperientialism) as a necessary conclusion of 'Real Materialism'. The existence of conscious experience, being the most certain fact, cannot be denied by genuine physicalism .
What consciousness is
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryConsciousness is identified as forms of brain-based perceptual prediction, where phenomenological properties are explained by the computational aspects of different forms of prediction .
Strawson’s PanpsychismConsciousness (experience) is identified as an intrinsic, non-reducible phenomenal property of all fundamental physical stuff or energy (panexperientialism).
Big questions
Can AI be conscious?Both agree
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryLikelyAs a materialist theory focusing on computational and information-processing mechanisms (perceptual prediction) , AI systems that instantiate similar complex mechanisms should be capable of achieving consciousness .
Strawson’s PanpsychismLikelyIf consciousness is an irreducible property of every elementary physical entity, then AI, being composed of physical matter, should also have inner awareness, provided the combination problem can be solved and micropsychic aspects can be manipulated by advanced technology .
Does consciousness survive death?Both agree
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryNoConsciousness is a product of biological brains and complex, physically instantiated predictive machinery . The death of the brain leads to the irrevocable and permanent non-existence of personal consciousness .
Strawson’s PanpsychismUnlikelyAlthough the world is infused with consciousness, survival requires reversing the complex process of microscopic elements coalescing into macroscopic consciousness, which seems difficult for first-person survival upon brain dissolution .
Could a mind be uploaded?Both agree
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryYesIf consciousness is entirely explicable by the computational processes of the brain , then, in principle, the first-person mental self could be duplicated and instantiated in a non-biological substrate, enabling virtual immortality .
Strawson’s PanpsychismLikelyIf consciousness is an intrinsic, regular property of the fabric of reality, advanced technology could potentially learn the regularities needed to aggregate or manipulate micropsychic forces to duplicate or upload consciousness .
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryHumanistic onlyCategorized as a Materialism Theory, it implies no ultimate or cosmic meaning or purpose, although it supports human-created meaning and value derived from individual agency and experience .
Strawson’s PanpsychismUncertainPanpsychism is positioned between Materialism (no ultimate purpose) and Dualism/Idealism (ultimate purpose), suggesting possible ultimate meaning/purpose/value .
Nature of mind
Ontology
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryPhysicalism / Materialism (Justified by its classification under Materialism Theories and its reliance on biological and computational explanations) .
Strawson’s PanpsychismRealistic Monism / Real Materialism
Mind and body
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryConscious experiences are entirely brain-based and physically instantiated . The model supports a strong correlation or identity theory, where conscious properties arise from the physiological and computational architecture geared toward bodily regulation .
Strawson’s PanpsychismIdentity Theory (Strong Sense). Mental phenomena are considered concrete physical phenomena because real physicalism encompasses all real phenomena, including experience.
Fundamental or emergent
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryEmergent
Strawson’s PanpsychismPrimitive/Fundamental
Qualia
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryThe phenomenological properties of conscious experiences are explained by the computational aspects of the different forms of perceptual prediction utilized by the brain .
Strawson’s PanpsychismQualia are real, concrete, and physical properties of the world; their denial is considered the 'silliest claim ever made'.
How it works
Mechanism
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryConsciousness is explained through predictive processing, where the brain generates a constant 'best guess' (prediction) of the causes of its sensory inputs . This mechanism is intrinsically tied to the regulation of bodily physiology .
Strawson’s PanpsychismThe principle that all concrete phenomena are physical, combined with the fact that experience is a concrete phenomenon and cannot radically emerge, dictates that experience is intrinsic to fundamental physics.
Where it is
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryLocated in the biological brain, tied to the predictive machinery that regulates bodily physiology .
Strawson’s PanpsychismUbiquitous, associated with every part or aspect of physical reality, akin to fundamental fields and particles .
What it does
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryConsciousness has a functional role tied to survival . It facilitates the regulation of bodily physiology and allows the organism to model, predict, and simulate the causes of sensory inputs .
Strawson’s PanpsychismConsciousness, being physical, fits unproblematically into the natural world. (The specific causal role of individual experiences is implied through their physical status but not detailed in the sources).
Evidence and criticism
Testability
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryEmpirically testable (Inferred, as the theory relies on concepts within the neurobiological and computational fields which emphasize development, testing, and comparison of theories) .
Strawson’s PanpsychismConceptually testable. It is a metaphysical proposal derived from philosophical premises about the nature of the physical world. Nagasawa notes that panpsychism, even if true, may reach a 'cognitive dead end' because it cannot be proven .
Tests so far
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryTests involving predictive processing accounts of brain perception, cognition, and action (Justified: Specific named tests are not provided, but the theory is explicitly positioned within the predictive processing framework) .
Strawson’s PanpsychismNot stated
Criticisms
Seth’s Beast Machine TheoryNot explicitly detailed in the source, but generally subject to the tension inherent in deflationary accounts of consciousness .
Strawson’s PanpsychismWidely held to be 'absurd' by some critics . It suffers from the combination problem, requiring an explanation of how micro-level experiences aggregate to yield macrophenomenal properties.
Sources
Key sources
Seth’s Beast Machine Theory
- Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, Anil Seth (2021)
- Theories of consciousness, Anil Seth and Tim Bayne (2022)
Strawson’s Panpsychism
- Realistic Monism: Why Physicalism Entails Panpsychism, Galen Strawson (2009)
- Real Materialism and Other Essays, Galen Strawson (2008)
- The Consciousness Deniers, Galen Strawson (2018)