148: Philosophy Meets Mycology: Do Plants and Fungi Think?
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Today we have my guest Joshua Farris from The Created Souls podcast. We chat about consciousness, and we pick a few philosophers to see what they would answer to the question on if plants and fungi have consciousness. Grab his new book " The Creation of Self".
Resources Mentioned:
Creation of Self, The by Joshua, Farris: Fair (2023) | Book Deals
Spotify
Hyphal and mycelial consciousness: the concept of the fungal mind - ScienceDirect
Language of fungi derived from their electrical spiking activity | Royal Society Open Science
What is Consciousness? And Can Fungi or Plants Have It?
Joshua brings a unique perspective as a philosopher and researcher who has studied consciousness through the lens of cognitive science, philosophy, and religion. When asked about consciousness, he broke it down into two levels:
Phenomenal Consciousness – the "what it’s like" quality of experiencing something (e.g., tasting chocolate or feeling the sun on your skin).
Self-Awareness – the ability to reflect on one’s own thoughts and existence.
The big question? Do plants and fungi experience something like this? We explored how mycelium networks (the underground fungal threads connecting forests) exhibit intelligent behaviors—like resource sharing, environmental adaptation, and even learning from past stimuli. Could this be a form of decentralized consciousness?
Joshua pointed out that some philosophers, like Alfred North Whitehead, would argue yes. Whitehead’s view of "panpsychism" suggests that consciousness permeates all levels of reality—from humans to plants to microscopic particles.
Philosophical Heavyweights on Plant and Fungal Consciousness
We also took a creative detour, imagining how famous philosophers might weigh in on the topic:
René Descartes: The "I think, therefore I am" philosopher might argue that fungi lack the centralized brain structure needed for true consciousness.
Immanuel Kant: He’d focus on how our minds categorize the world. Could fungal networks fit into his framework of transcendental categories?
Modern Thinkers: Figures like Merlin Sheldrake and Nick P. Money have argued for fungal intelligence, with Sheldrake drawing parallels between mycelial networks and human brain synapses.
Joshua’s take? It’s not about mimicking human consciousness but understanding that fungi and plants might possess their own unique, decentralized form of awareness—a kind of "networked intelligence." Fascinating, right?
Why Are Fungi and Consciousness Trending?
There’s a growing buzz around the idea of plant and fungal consciousness, thanks to:
Scientific Discoveries: Studies suggest mycelial networks "learn" and "remember," similar to neurons in our brain.
Cultural Fascination: Pop culture hits like Avatar (remember the Tree of Souls?) and the popularity of psychedelic research have made people more curious about non-human intelligence.
AI and Technology: The rise of artificial intelligence raises new questions about what consciousness is and how it could exist in decentralized systems—like fungi or machines.
A Deeper Look at Mycelium Networks
One of the coolest parts of our chat was diving into the science. Mycelium networks connect plants in a "Wood Wide Web," sharing nutrients and even warning neighbors of threats. Joshua highlighted their "distributed intelligence," noting similarities to neural networks in the brain. However, unlike our centralized brains, fungal intelligence is decentralized, raising the philosophical debate: does consciousness need a central hub, or can it exist in a network?
Takeaways from the Episode
Philosophy Meets Biology: From Descartes to modern thinkers, the debate over non-human consciousness continues to challenge our understanding of intelligence.
Fungi as Nature’s Thinkers: Mycelium networks might not "think" like us, but their behaviors suggest a sophisticated, decentralized intelligence.
Bigger Questions Remain: Could we ever create artificial consciousness? What can fungi teach us about our own minds?
Join the Conversation
This episode was packed with fascinating insights, big questions, and even some laughs as we tackled everything from Nick Money’s groundbreaking work to the potential of AI mimicking fungal intelligence. To hear the full conversation, check out Episode 148 of Flora Funga Podcast on your favorite streaming platform.
Want to dig deeper? Follow Joshua Farris on the Created Souls Podcast and check out his book, The Creation of Self. And don’t forget to share your thoughts: Do you think fungi or plants have consciousness?
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Keywords: #FloraFungaPodcast #Consciousness #MyceliumNetworks #FungalIntelligence #PlantConsciousness #PhilosophyAndScience #JoshuaFarris #Panpsychism #NickMoney #FungiScience #WoodWideWeb #AIandConsciousness #MerlinSheldrake #FungalBiology #MushroomMind #PodcastEpisode
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