R. William Hasker (; born 1935) is an American

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Huntington University. For many years he was editor of the prestigious journal ''

Faith and Philosophy ''Faith and Philosophy'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Society of Christian Philosophers with support from Asbury Theological Seminary and the University of Arkansas. It is currently edited by Thomas D. Senor. The journal ai ...

''. He has published many journal articles and books dealing with issues such as the

mind–body problem The mind–body problem is a philosophical debate concerning the relationship between thought and consciousness in the human mind, and the brain as part of the physical body. The debate goes beyond addressing the mere question of how mind and bo ...

theodicy Theodicy () means vindication of God. It is to answer the question of why a good God permits the manifestation of evil, thus resolving the issue of the problem of evil. Some theodicies also address the problem of evil "to make the existence of ...

, and divine omniscience. He has argued for "

open theism Open theism, also known as openness theology and free will theism, is a theological movement that has developed within Christianity as a rejection of the synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Open theism arises out of the freewi ...

" and a view known as "

emergentism In philosophy, emergentism is the belief in emergence, particularly as it involves consciousness and the philosophy of mind. A property of a system is said to be emergent if it is a new outcome of some other properties of the system and their int ...

" regarding the nature of the human person. Hasker regards the soul as an "emergent" substance, dependent upon the body for its existence. Hasker received his PhD in theology and philosophy of religion from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. His 1999 publication ''The Emergent Self'' discusses the

philosophy of mind Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the ontology and nature of the mind and its relationship with the body. The mind–body problem is a paradigmatic issue in philosophy of mind, although a number of other issues are addre ...

and attempts to establish that mind cannot be solely a material process but is also not completely distinct from its physical basis in the brain.

Selected publications

Hasker has published numerous works. A selection: * 1983, ''Metaphysics: Constructing a World View'' (InterVarsity Press) * 1989, ''God, Time, and Knowledge'' * 1999, ''The Emergent Self'' (Cornell University Press) * 2004, ''Providence, Evil, and the Openness of God'' * 2008, ''The Triumph of God over Evil: Theodicy for a World of Suffering'' (IVP Academic) * 2013, ''Metaphysics and the Tri-Personal God.'' Oxford Studies in Analytic Theology. (Oxford University Press)

References

1935 births Alumni of the University of Edinburgh American philosophers American theologians Living people {{US-philosopher-stub