William Hasker

R. William Hasker (; born 1935) is an American philosopher who is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Huntington University. For many years, he was editor of Faith and Philosophy and has published many journal articles and books dealing with issues such as the mind–body problem, theodicy, and divine omniscience.

Education

Hasker received his PhD in theology and philosophy of religion from the University of Edinburgh.

Emergent dualism

Hasker has argued for open theism and a view known as emergent dualism regarding the nature of the human person. Hasker regards the soul as an "emergent" substance, dependent upon the body for its existence. Emergent dualism is a type of substance dualism which argues that the soul develops "naturally from the structure and functioning of the organism". He argues that emergent dualism supports free will, mental causation, rationality and survival of physical death and is compatible with neuroscientific discoveries showing the dependence of mind on brain and evolutionary theory.

Emergent dualism has been criticized by other substance dualist philosophers including Frank B. Dilley and Stewart Goetz.

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)