Philip Goff

Durham University

Philip Goff is a British philosopher who studies consciousness and how it relates to our theory of reality. He studies the difficulties associated with both materialism (consciousness can be explained in terms of physical processes in the brain) and dualism (consciousness is separate from the body and brain). He is the author of "Why? The Purpose of the Universe" (Oxford University Press, 2023).

Latest articles by Philip Goff

An illustration of brown, gold and green spheres in various sizes.

Many physicists think we live in a multiverse. But they're getting a simple math rule wrong.

By Philip Goff published

Our universe seems to be perfectly suited for life. But anyone who claims that's evidence of a multiverse is falling prey to a logical fallacy.

Physics & Mathematics
Composition of human face wire-frame and fractal elements with metaphorical relationship to mind, reason, thought, mental powers and mystic consciousness.

Consciousness can't be explained by brain chemistry alone, one philosopher argues

By Philip Goff published

We can account for the evolution of consciousness only if we crack the philosophy, as well as the physics, of the brain.

Neuroscience
The human brain is composed of nearly 1 billion neurons.

Why Can't Science Explain Consciousness?

By Philip Goff published

Explaining how something as complex as consciousness can emerge from a grey, jelly-like lump of tissue in the head is arguably the greatest scientific challenge of our time.

Consciousness