What is "panpsychism"

Panpsychism \Pan*psy"chism\, n. [See Pan-; Psychic.] The theory that all nature is psychical or has a psychical aspect; the theory that every particle of matter has a psychical character or aspect. -- Pan*psy"chic, a. -- Pan*psy"chist, n. -- Pan`psy*chis"tic, a.

Fechner affords a conspicuous instance of the idealistic tendency to mysterize nature in his panpsychicism, or that form of noumenal idealism which holds that the universe is a vast communion of spirits, souls of men, of animals, of plants, of earth and other planets, of the sun, all embraced as different members in the soul of the world.
--Encyc. Brit.

n. 1 (context philosophy uncountable English) The (l en doctrine) that all (l en matter) has a mental (l en aspect). ((non-gloss definition: Many panpsychists employ the qualification that only “true individuals” are animated; that is, that things like atoms, molecules, and organisms are animated ''as atoms, molecules, and organisms'', whereas things like rocks, tables, and boots are not animated ''as themselves'', although they do comprise animate elements.)) 2 (context philosophy countable English) A specific panpsychist doctrine or system.

In philosophy, panpsychism is the view that consciousness, mind or soul (psyche) is a universal and primordial feature of all things. Panpsychists see themselves as minds in a world of minds.

Panpsychism is one of the oldest philosophical theories, and has been ascribed to philosophers like Thales, Plato, Spinoza, Leibniz and William James. Panpsychism can also be seen in ancient philosophies such as Stoicism, Vedanta and Mahayana Buddhism. During the 19th century, panpsychism was the default theory in philosophy of mind, but it saw a decline during the middle years of the 20th century with the rise of logical positivism. The recent interest in the hard problem of consciousness has once again made panpsychism a widespread theory.