William S. Hatcher (September 20, 1935 - November 27, 2005) was a mathematician, philosopher, educator and a member of the Bahá’í Faith[1]. 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.

Although he made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and philosophy, he is perhaps best known for his ostensible proof of God's existence 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 nevertheless 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 is based on three axioms that he calls "empirically grounded" and an apriori assumption that "something exists." Throughout this work, Hatcher strives to make his assumptions explicit, rather than concealing them. Moreover, 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 points out that one must invalidate one or more of his three empirically grounded axioms to refute his ostensible proof.

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 socially conferred value; for example, the value given by society to money, which Hatcher points out "is nothing more than a mass of coloured fibers." 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 points out that unless we discover our own intrinsic value, we will seek it elsewhere.

(Siyamak Sasani)

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