Matthew David Segall’s concept of a “cosmologically ensouled interpretation” emerges from his engagement with the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. This interpretation challenges the reductionist and mechanistic views of the cosmos that dominate modern science, which often describe the universe in purely physical and mathematical terms devoid of meaning or purpose.
In contrast, Segall argues for an understanding of the cosmos as inherently meaningful and alive, suggesting that both physics and chemistry are not just descriptions of inert matter but involve living, organized processes at different scales. This view reintroduces a sense of soul or life into the cosmos, suggesting that the universe itself may be seen as a kind of living organism, or at least as something that is deeply interconnected with consciousness and subjectivity, rather than being purely mechanistic.
This approach is influenced by Whitehead’s philosophy, which critiques the “bifurcation of nature”—the separation of human consciousness from the rest of the universe. In a cosmologically ensouled interpretation, consciousness is not seen as an anomaly but as integral to the cosmos. It offers a more holistic way of understanding the universe that bridges the gap between science and spiritual or ethical dimensions, suggesting that the universe is imbued with purpose and creativity, not just mechanical causality
