b. 1952
Galen Strawson (born 1952) is a British analytic philosopher known for his work on consciousness, free will, and the nature of the self. He is best known for the 'Basic Argument' against robust free will, which holds that genuine moral responsibility is metaphysically impossible, and for defending a form of panpsychism regarding the nature of experience. He is the son of philosopher P.F. Strawson and holds a position at the University of Texas at Austin.
Formulated the 'Basic Argument' demonstrating that true moral responsibility is metaphysically impossible
Defended panpsychism as the most plausible account of the relationship between matter and consciousness
Developed a deflationary account of the self as a real but episodic, non-narrative entity
Argued that determinism is not the core threat to free will — the problem runs deeper than the determinist/libertarian debate
Authored major works including Freedom and Belief (1986), Mental Reality (1994), and Selves (2009)