more from Peter van Inwagen

Single Idea 17584

[catalogued under 27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 2. Life]

Full Idea

There are events of which it is neither definitely true nor definitely false that those events are lives. I do not see how we can deny this.

Gist of Idea

Some events are only borderline cases of lives

Source

Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 18)

Book Reference

Inwagen,Peter van: 'Material Beings' [Cornell 1995], p.237


A Reaction

Very frustrating, since this is my main objection to Van Inwagen's distinction between unified lives and mere collections of simples. Some boundaries are real enough, despite their vagueness, and others indicate that there is no real distinction.