Stephen Hawking famously declared that science had replaced philosophy as the torch-bearer of knowledge. And many philosophers now equally see metaphysics as a mere exercise in language.

In this three-part course, Philosopher John Heil revives metaphysics and outlines his original approach to the big questions of substance, causation, and consciousness.

By the end of this course, you will have learnt:

• Science’s need for metaphysical explanation and support.
• The limits to what science can tell us about substance and consciousness.
• How causality affects our freedom.
• Why there is something rather than nothing.

Through video lectures, questions, and suggested reading, discover why metaphysics remains ‘the most noble of sciences’.  Share your ideas and support your learning through our discussion boards, and test your knowledge with questions throughout the course.

This course is designed for anyone interested in metaphysics and the philosophy of science and requires no prior knowledge. Whether you’re working in the field or you just want to learn more, we welcome you to join The Universe As We Find It.

John Heil

John Heil is Professor of Philosophy at Washington University in St Louis. Listed among the 50 most influential living philosophers, John Heil has defended the role that philosophy has to play in understanding nature of mind and reality. His books include The Universe As We Find It and From An Ontological Point of View.

• Heil, J., The Universe as We Find It, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012).
• Heil, J., From an Ontological Point of View, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).
• Armstrong, D. M., A World of States of Affairs, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997).
• Mackie, J. L., The Cement of the Universe: A Study of Causation, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974).
• Chalmers, D. J., The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996).
• Sider, T., Writing the Book of the World, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011).
• van Inwagen, P., Metaphysics, (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1993).
• Lowe, E. J., The Four-Category Ontology: A Metaphysical Foundation for Natural Science, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006).