William S. Hatcher
Encyclopedia
William S. Hatcher was a mathematician, philosopher, educator and a member of the Bahá'í Faith
. He held a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Neuchatel
, Switzerland
, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Vanderbilt University
in Nashville
, Tennessee
. A specialist in the philosophical alloying of science and religion, for over thirty years he held university positions in North America, Europe, and Russia.
, North Carolina
, US in 1935, and died on 27 November 2005.
based on first-order logic and for his work towards a transcultural system of ethics.
In his books Love, Power, and Justice, and Minimalism
, Hatcher attempts to prove God's existence while addressing many of the criticisms raised against previous theistic philosophers. While Hatcher admits that his argument does not establish the existence of any particular religion's God, he asserts that it does support the existence of a God that he defines as a unique, universal, and uncaused cause.
Written in first order logic
, Hatcher's proof of God is based on three axioms that he calls "empirically grounded
" and an apriori assumption that "something exists."
The axioms are that:
P1. The principle of sufficient reason: All phenomena are either self-caused (i.e. A->A) or other-caused (B->A; B is not equal to A) but not both. Put another way, this principle says that the question "why?" is always meaningful. Everything happens for a reason.
P2. The potency principle: If A -> B then for all C element of B, A -> C. In other words if A is the cause of B then A is
the cause of every part of B. There are several notions of causality in philosophy. Hatcher's notion of causality is total causality; i.e. it is not the straw that breaks the camel's back but the 1000 straws before it, the camel, gravity, and so forth, that give rise to the camel breaking its back.
P3. The principle of limitation: For all A, where A is an element of B, B -> A does not hold. This says a system (which Hatcher represents as a set) cannot be the cause of its own components. Hatcher justifies this by explaining any system has (1) form (the parts) and (2) function (the relationship between the parts). A car (the system) cannot be the cause of its own steering wheel (a part), because the car does not even logically exist until the steering wheel exists. Thus the car's existence cannot precede the steering wheel's existence.
Hatcher shows that the logical outcome of these 3 axioms together with the above noted assumption are the existence of a "unique, universal, uncaused cause."
The proof can be downloaded here
Throughout this work, Hatcher strives to make his assumptions (his axioms) and modus operandi (first order logic) explicit. Unlike many proofs of God (beginning with the proof advanced by Aristotle) Hatcher's proof does not appeal to the absurdity of an infinite regression of causes. Hatcher argues that because his proof is formulated in first order logic one must invalidate one or more of his three empirically grounded axioms to refute it. At the same time he shows that doing so is difficult as it commits oneself to beliefs not commonly accepted in the scientific community such as the existence of non-causal systems (something not observed to date).
In Love, Power and Justice, Hatcher outlines a system of ethics
based on the principle that there is a universal human nature
. As evidence, he outlines how all new born children will respond positively to love, and negatively to cruelty and hate.
Hatcher also speaks of intrinsic and extrinsic value. Extrinsic value is not a property of the object itself but is a socially conferred value; for example, the value given by society to money. Intrinsic value on the other hand stands inseparable from the object itself. Whereas extrinsic value can be determined by observation, intrinsic value is discovered upon reflection. Hatcher believes that human beings have intrinsic value, similar to the Kantian notion of our humanity. He says that unless we discover our own intrinsic value, we will seek it elsewhere through means such as competition.
Hatcher was the author of over fifty monographs, books, and articles in the mathematical sciences, logic and philosophy. Among the publications of which he is author or coauthor are:
, his reasons for declining to enroll at the school where he was recently admitted. He spent the decades that followed in dedicated service to the Baha'i community and its administrative development, at the local and national level, in the United States, Switzerland, Russia, and Canada.
He served on National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada (1983-91) as well as on the inaugural National Spiritual Assemblies of Switzerland (1962-65) and the Russian Federation (1996). He lived in Russia from 1993 to 1998. He was also a founding member of the Association for Bahai Studies.
In a message of condolence, the Universal House of Justice
(the international governing body of the Bahá'í Faith) said that "The Baha'i world has lost one of its brightest minds, one of its most prolific pens ..."
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. He held a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Neuchatel
University of Neuchâtel
The University of Neuchâtel is a French-speaking university in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The University has five faculties and more than a dozen institutes, including arts and human sciences, natural sciences, law, economics and theology. The Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences is the largest...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. A specialist in the philosophical alloying of science and religion, for over thirty years he held university positions in North America, Europe, and Russia.
Biography
He was born in CharlotteCHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, US in 1935, and died on 27 November 2005.
Philosophy
Although he made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and philosophy, he is perhaps best known for developing a new proof of God's existenceExistence of God
Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, scientists, and others. In philosophical terms, arguments for and against the existence of God involve primarily the sub-disciplines of epistemology and ontology , but also of the theory of value, since...
based on first-order logic and for his work towards a transcultural system of ethics.
In his books Love, Power, and Justice, and Minimalism
Minimalism: A Bridge between Classical Philosophy and the Baha'i Revelation
Minimalism: A Bridge between Classical Philosophy and the Baha'i Revelation is a book by William S. Hatcher. Hatcher attempts to prove God's existence while addressing many of the criticisms raised against previous theistic philosophers....
, Hatcher attempts to prove God's existence while addressing many of the criticisms raised against previous theistic philosophers. While Hatcher admits that his argument does not establish the existence of any particular religion's God, he asserts that it does support the existence of a God that he defines as a unique, universal, and uncaused cause.
Written in first order logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, Hatcher's proof of God is based on three axioms that he calls "empirically grounded
Empirical
The word empirical denotes information gained by means of observation or experimentation. Empirical data are data produced by an experiment or observation....
" and an apriori assumption that "something exists."
The axioms are that:
P1. The principle of sufficient reason: All phenomena are either self-caused (i.e. A->A) or other-caused (B->A; B is not equal to A) but not both. Put another way, this principle says that the question "why?" is always meaningful. Everything happens for a reason.
P2. The potency principle: If A -> B then for all C element of B, A -> C. In other words if A is the cause of B then A is
the cause of every part of B. There are several notions of causality in philosophy. Hatcher's notion of causality is total causality; i.e. it is not the straw that breaks the camel's back but the 1000 straws before it, the camel, gravity, and so forth, that give rise to the camel breaking its back.
P3. The principle of limitation: For all A, where A is an element of B, B -> A does not hold. This says a system (which Hatcher represents as a set) cannot be the cause of its own components. Hatcher justifies this by explaining any system has (1) form (the parts) and (2) function (the relationship between the parts). A car (the system) cannot be the cause of its own steering wheel (a part), because the car does not even logically exist until the steering wheel exists. Thus the car's existence cannot precede the steering wheel's existence.
Hatcher shows that the logical outcome of these 3 axioms together with the above noted assumption are the existence of a "unique, universal, uncaused cause."
The proof can be downloaded here
Throughout this work, Hatcher strives to make his assumptions (his axioms) and modus operandi (first order logic) explicit. Unlike many proofs of God (beginning with the proof advanced by Aristotle) Hatcher's proof does not appeal to the absurdity of an infinite regression of causes. Hatcher argues that because his proof is formulated in first order logic one must invalidate one or more of his three empirically grounded axioms to refute it. At the same time he shows that doing so is difficult as it commits oneself to beliefs not commonly accepted in the scientific community such as the existence of non-causal systems (something not observed to date).
In Love, Power and Justice, Hatcher outlines a system of ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
based on the principle that there is a universal human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
. As evidence, he outlines how all new born children will respond positively to love, and negatively to cruelty and hate.
Hatcher also speaks of intrinsic and extrinsic value. Extrinsic value is not a property of the object itself but is a socially conferred value; for example, the value given by society to money. Intrinsic value on the other hand stands inseparable from the object itself. Whereas extrinsic value can be determined by observation, intrinsic value is discovered upon reflection. Hatcher believes that human beings have intrinsic value, similar to the Kantian notion of our humanity. He says that unless we discover our own intrinsic value, we will seek it elsewhere through means such as competition.
Work and Achievements
Hatcher is one of eight Platonist philosophers listed for the second half of the twentieth century in the Encyclopedie Philosophique Universelle.Hatcher was the author of over fifty monographs, books, and articles in the mathematical sciences, logic and philosophy. Among the publications of which he is author or coauthor are:
- The Foundations of Mathematics (1968)
- Absolute Algebra (1978)
- The Science of Religion (1980)
- The Logical Foundations of Mathematics (1982)
- The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion (1984)
- Logic and Logos: Essays on Science, Religion and Philosophy (1990)
- The Law of Love Enshrined (1996)
- The Ethics of Authenticity (1997)
- Love, Power, and Justice (1998)
- Minimalism: A Bridge between Classical Philosophy and the Baha'i RevelationMinimalism: A Bridge between Classical Philosophy and the Baha'i RevelationMinimalism: A Bridge between Classical Philosophy and the Baha'i Revelation is a book by William S. Hatcher. Hatcher attempts to prove God's existence while addressing many of the criticisms raised against previous theistic philosophers....
(2002)
Relationship to the Bahá'í Faith
Dr. Hatcher discovered the Bahá'í Faith while a student. He enrolled in the Bahá'í Faith in 1957 following which he wrote an a letter to the Yale faculty explaining to the Yale Divinity SchoolYale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
, his reasons for declining to enroll at the school where he was recently admitted. He spent the decades that followed in dedicated service to the Baha'i community and its administrative development, at the local and national level, in the United States, Switzerland, Russia, and Canada.
He served on National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada (1983-91) as well as on the inaugural National Spiritual Assemblies of Switzerland (1962-65) and the Russian Federation (1996). He lived in Russia from 1993 to 1998. He was also a founding member of the Association for Bahai Studies.
In a message of condolence, the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
(the international governing body of the Bahá'í Faith) said that "The Baha'i world has lost one of its brightest minds, one of its most prolific pens ..."