description Peter van Inwagen Overview
Peter van Inwagen is an American analytic philosopher, born in 1942, whose work addresses metaphysics, free will, philosophical theology, and the philosophy of religion. He formulated the consequence argument, an influential defense of incompatibilism holding that determinism and genuine freedom cannot both be true. His book Material Beings develops a restrictive account of composition according to which living organisms, rather than ordinary composite objects such as tables, are genuine material beings.
help Peter van Inwagen FAQ
What is Peter van Inwagen's consequence argument?
The argument says that if determinism is true, human actions follow from the remote past and the laws of nature. Because people control neither those past facts nor those laws, van Inwagen argues that they do not control their deterministic consequences.
Does van Inwagen think free will is compatible with determinism?
No, he is one of the best-known defenders of incompatibilism. His influential 1975 paper "The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism" introduced the consequence argument in a widely discussed form.
What does van Inwagen claim exists in Material Beings?
He argues that material composites exist only when their parts constitute a living organism. On this view, ordinary tables and chairs are not single composite objects, even though particles are arranged table-wise or chair-wise.
Does van Inwagen write only about free will?
No, his work also covers ontology, identity, philosophical theology, resurrection, and the problem of evil. His 2006 book The Problem of Evil developed a sustained response to arguments from suffering against theism.
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