Walden Pod Philip Goff x Graham Oppy | Finite Theism vs. Naturalism
Mar 22, 2026
Philip Goff, philosopher of mind who defends panpsychism and finite theism, and Graham Oppy, philosopher of religion skilled in arguments about God's existence, spar over finite theism versus naturalism. They debate fine-tuning, multiverse alternatives, consciousness and psychophysical harmony, libertarian free will as an explanation, and modal and Bayesian challenges to comparing worldviews.
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Goff's Reluctant Shift From Panpsychism To Theism
- Goff recounts his move from panpsychism and fine-tuning worries to becoming a theist reluctantly after mathematical work persuaded him.
- He describes being 'dragged kicking and screaming' into a God-ish hypothesis to account for fine-tuning.
Libertarian Free Will Explains Psychophysical Harmony
- Goff offers libertarian free will plus natural selection as a solution: free will creates a reason-responsive agent where consciousness aids rational responses, which selection favors.
- He further suggests libertarian free will as evidence more expected under theism than atheism.
Process Theism Offers Similar Limits On God
- Graham Oppy probes what Goff means by 'limited' God and notes process theologians also limit divine power or knowledge.
- Goff replies he's sympathetic to process theology and open to limiting God's foreknowledge but keeps limitations mainly on creative abilities.
