What Alex O'Connor has said about Consciousness
3 quotes · 1 episode · Nov 12, 2026
Alex O'Connor, British atheist philosopher and YouTuber, formerly Cosmic Skeptic, has been quoted on Consciousness 3 times in 1 episode of Modern Wisdom, most recently on November 12, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.
In their words
O'Connor argues consciousness is the foundational question of philosophy because everything is experienced through it.
“The question for me is the foundational question of philosophy, I think, is consciousness. because everything comes through consciousness”
Modern Wisdom: Why Atheists Keep Finding God (in everything) - Alex O’Connor - #1175 (Nov 12, 2026) · Listen from 29:05
O'Connor maintains that consciousness is literally impossible to define.
“It's also impossible to define. I think it's literally impossible to define”
Modern Wisdom: Why Atheists Keep Finding God (in everything) - Alex O’Connor - #1175 (Nov 12, 2026) · Listen from 29:18
O'Connor holds that consciousness itself is simple awareness that can manifest complexly, and that assuming it needs complexity is a mistake.
“It's one of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that consciousness requires complexity. I think consciousness itself is extremely simple”
Modern Wisdom: Why Atheists Keep Finding God (in everything) - Alex O’Connor - #1175 (Nov 12, 2026) · Listen from 1:08:43
Episodes
Why Atheists Keep Finding God (in everything) - Alex O’Connor - #1175Modern Wisdom · Nov 12, 2026 · 1 h 57 min
Alex O'Connor tells Chris Williamson why consciousness undermines materialism, how mysticism and prayer work, and discusses embryo selection, the non-identity problem, and fantasy as cheating.
Others on Consciousness
- Mustafa Suleyman · 4 quotes
- Mayim Bialik · 3 quotes
- Michael Pollan · 3 quotes
- Joe Mittiga · 3 quotes
- Nancy Rynes · 2 quotes
- Steve Farrell · 2 quotes
- Jaime · 2 quotes
- Carlo Rovelli · 2 quotes
Alex O'Connor on other topics
- Embryo selection · 2 quotes
- Philosophy of science · 2 quotes
- Pornography · 1 quote
- Infidelity · 1 quote
- Prayer · 1 quote
- Meditation · 1 quote
- Idealism · 1 quote
- Emergence · 1 quote