The fall of the cosmic mind: cosmopsychism, the Satan hypothesis, and natural evil

Christian philosophers often use moral agents to explain the existence of evil. The fall of human beings can be used in explanations of moral evil, and some have posited the existence of angels to explain natural evil. The latter proposal, which has been labelled “the Satan hypothesis,” has faced substantial criticism. Here, I do not dismiss the Satan hypothesis, but present cosmopsychism, the idea that the universe is conscious, as an alternative way of using moral agents to explain natural evil for those skeptical of the Satan hypothesis. After introducing cosmopsychism into this debate and outlining how it can be used instead of the Satan hypothesis, I consider how it can provide an explanation of natural evil.