Divine Providence and Human Freedom

1
Divine Providence and Human Freedom

• Antimony or Harmony?

2
Theological Libertarianism

• Basic claims
• 1. All events (including all acts performed by
  humans) do NOT flow from the divine will.
  Everything this world has NOT been determined
  (predetermined)
• 2. There is logical contradiction between divine
  determinism and human freedom.

3
Theological Libertarianism, cont.

• Humans are free in the sense of free will.
• Libertarianism offers the best philosophical a
  human freedom and responsibility.
• Free will alone is compatible with human freedom.
  God cannot determine what a free individual will
  do.
• 3. Theological indeterminism does not entail a
  deism which God is not involved or lacks interest
  in world. God is both a coercive and a persuasive
  presence in the world.

4
Logic of Theo. Libertarianism

• (P1) If a human action is brought about by free
  will, that action cannot be totally controlled
  by God.
• (P2) Some events in this world are brought about
  by free will.
• Therefore Some of the events in this world are
  not totally controlled by God (do not occur
  because God has willed them).

5
Theological Compatibilism

• Basic Claims
• 1. All events (including all acts performed by
  humans) flow from the divine will. Everything
  thing in world has been determined, either
  passively or actively (predetermined) by God.
• 2. There is NO logical contradiction between
  divine determinism and human freedom.

6
Theological Compatibilism, cont.

• Soft determinism (compatibilism) is true. Humans
  are free in that they exercise freedom agency. As
  long as they are doing what they want to do (as
  long their actions flow from their will) they are
  free and responsible moral agents.
• God does not normally force us to act against our
  will. God has created us in a certain way and has
  put us in circumstances in which we will be
  willing do what he wants us to do.

7
Theological Compatibilism, cont.

• 3. Compatibilism does not entail fatalism. God
  has ordained that certain things would happen
  through human choice and action.
• Our goal is not to try to actualize God's
  sovereign will (this will happen, must happen).
  We should seek God's moral will in all that we
  do. The fact that God has determined everything
  that comes to pass will not negatively affect on
  one's decision making.

8
Fideism

• From a human perspective we cannot make sense out
  of God determining what free and morally
  responsible humans do.
• But why should we be limited to what makes sense
  from human perspective? The fact that God has
  determined everything (even the free choices and
  actions of humans) is a paradox or mystery of the
  faith a revelational truth which we assent even
  if is does not make sense from human perspective.

9
Middle Knowledge A Via Media?

• Middle knowledge proposes to offer a compromise
  between libertarianism and determinism. (Luis de
  Molina, 16th cent.)
• There can be knowledge of propositions called
  counterfactuals of freedom.
• These counterfactuals indicate what a creature
  would do in each situation of (libertarian) free
  choice in which the creature finds
  himself/herself.

10
Middle Knowledge, cont.

• On the basis of these counterfactuals, God
  possesses knowledge of all possible worlds, but
  actualizes the one which fits with his
  providential plan.
• Libertarian freedom (free will) exists while God
  simultaneously remains in control.
• Problems with middle knowledge.