If materialism is true, consciousness likely extends beyond biological organisms to include complex group entities. A philosophical argument suggests that if one accepts consciousness in aliens or rabbits based on behavioral similarity, the same logic applies to spatially distributed entities. The United States, as a collective entity, possesses the structural properties materialists typically associate with consciousness.

Philosophical Studies, founded in 1950 by Herbert Feigl and Wilfrid Sellars and published by Springer, explores these analytic questions. The journal focuses on clarity and precision in addressing significant philosophical issues, particularly those involving formal techniques. The argument challenges materialists to reconsider their prejudices against group consciousness, suggesting that denying sentience to the United States would be inconsistent with accepting it in other non-human entities.

This thought experiment forces a reevaluation of what constitutes the necessary conditions for conscious experience, pushing the boundaries of materialist philosophy into the realm of sociology and collective behavior.