Philosophy For Our Times The limits of nothingness | Peter van Inwagen
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Aug 20, 2025 Philosopher Peter van Inwagen, a leading mind in metaphysics and the philosophy of religion, dives into the perplexing nature of 'nothingness'. He tackles the bold question of why anything exists at all, referencing Leibniz’s famous inquiry. The discussion unfolds around the intricate relationship between existence and nonexistence, prompting listeners to reflect on necessary versus contingent propositions. Van Inwagen critiques the limitations of both physics and philosophy in fully addressing the essence of being.
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Nothing As A Count Of Beings
- Van Inwagen reframes "there is nothing" as the claim that the number of things is zero.
- This shifts the ontological question into counting and defining what counts as a being.
Beings Defined By Causal Roles
- Van Inwagen restricts discussion to causal things and calls them "beings."
- He excludes purely mathematical objects from the primary ontological question.
Physics Presupposes What It Tries To Explain
- The ontological question asks why the number of beings isn't zero and resists scientific reduction.
- Van Inwagen argues physics presupposes some entities and can't fully answer why there is anything at all.