Are Composite Subjects Possible? A Clarification of the Subject Combination Problem Facing Panpsychism

Summary

The subject combination problem in panpsychism questions how subjects of experience can combine. Previous solutions often misinterpret the nature of this problem, as highlighted in a debate between Siddharth and Miller. Siddharth claimed that the phenomenal bonding solution does not address the issue, while Miller argued that Siddharth misunderstood the problem at hand. The paper aims to clarify the true subject combination problem and assess different defenses of subject composition.

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Abstract

Panpsychism, the view that phenomenal consciousness is present at the fundamental physical level, faces the subject combination problem––the question of whether (and how) subjects of experience can combine. While various solutions to the problem have been proposed, these often seem to be based on a misunderstanding of the threat posed by the subject combination problem. An example is the exchange in this journal between Siddharth (2021) and Miller (2022). Siddharth argued that the phenomenal bonding solution failed to address the subject combination problem, while Miller responded that Siddharth had (among other things) misunderstood the problem that the phenomenal bonding solution was trying to solve. In this paper, I seek to clarify the real subject combination problem facing panpsychism, and on this basis, evaluate the various attempts at defending the possibility of subject composition.

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