1941 – 2009
John Foster (1941–2009) was a British philosopher at the University of Oxford, known for his robust defense of idealism and immaterialism in an era dominated by physicalism. He made significant contributions to philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion, arguing for the coherence of a theistic idealist worldview.
Defended a systematic case for idealism in 'A World for Us: The Case for Phenomenalistic Idealism' (2008)
Developed arguments for immaterialism and against physicalist accounts of mind in 'The Immaterial Self' (1991)
Argued for a theistic framework grounding natural laws in 'The Divine Lawmaker' (2004)
Contributed influential work on the nature of causation and induction in 'The Case for Idealism' (1982)
Held a tutorial fellowship in philosophy at Brasenose College, Oxford for over three decades