Material Beings by van Inwagen, Peter - 1990

Ithaca: Cornell University Press [1990], 1990. First edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 8vo. [7], viii, [2], 299, [3] pp. Blue-grey cloth with blue and silver lettering on the spine. Here van Inwagen argues that the only material objects that can be said to "exist" are living organisms and "simples" or objects that have no parts. The argument rests on a theory of parthood. His thesis has implications for personal identity, existence over time, vagueness, and the language we use to describe physical objects. An important and frequently cited work in contemporary metaphysics. A nice copy of a book that is difficult to find in the first edition. A Near Fine book with light foxing to the top textblock and fore-edge; dust jacket is Near Fine with minor foxing to the reverse.