GALILEO'S ERROR

Galileo’s Error is a manifesto proposing a new science of consciousness. There is a heated debate going on in modern philosophy about consciousness. Goff is one of the main players in the debate and has been described as “a rising star in philosophy.” So what is Galileo’s error? Galileo is seen as the father of modern physics. But in order to be a scientist in 16th Century Italy he did the wise thing and kept his studies to physical matter only. He took consciousness out of his domain of enquiry. (But he still ended up condemned as a heretic by the Catholic church). Daniel Dennett would agree with Galileo - saying proper respect for science requires us to deny the very existence of consciousness. Goff on the other hand makes the case for panpsychism, a theory which posits that consciousness is not confined to biological entities but is a fundamental feature of all physical matter - from subatomic particles to the human brain.