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How theorists conceptualize the natural world influences their approach to addressing ecological and social issues. Within contemporary historical materialism, there has been minimal attention paid to conceptions of nature based on panpsychism, which is the view that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous property of nature. This paper aims to contribute to the filling of this gap through investigating modern conceptions of nature through the lens of Moishe Postone's Time, Labor and Social Domination. This leads on to consideration of the critical potential of panpsychism, with particular attention to the process philosophy tradition inspired by Alfred North Whitehead. It is concluded that a Postonian immanent critique which incorporates insights from panpsychism broadens the base for envisaging postcapitalist possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolutionary argument for the causal efficacy of consciousness of William James contends that an implication of the theory of evolution by natural selection is that subjective states have physical effects. This paper explores the contemporary relevance of James' argument. The argument will be examined and some objections to it briefly discussed. Following this, the implications of the argument for the foundations of science and for evolutionary theory will be addressed. Consideration will then be given to how extensively subjective purpose may occur in living nature in view of James' argument. It is argued that the evolutionary argument lends support to Whiteheadian metaphysics and has significant implications for the world-view of scientific materialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]