The Freedom of the Will

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The Freedom of the Will is an influential 18th-century theological and philosophical treatise by Jonathan Edwards that rigorously defends a compatibilist view of human freedom and divine sovereignty.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf book
philosophical treatise
theological treatise
author Jonathan Edwards
centralConcept determination of the will by strongest motive
moral necessity
natural necessity
countryOfOrigin Colonial America
genre Christian theology
metaphysics
philosophy of religion
hasPart The Freedom of the Will
surface form: "Part I: Concerning the Nature of the Will"

Part II: Concerning the Determination of the Will
Part III: Concerning Liberty and Necessity
A Display of Arminianism
surface form: "Part IV: Of the Chief Grounds of the Arminians"
historicalSignificance classic text in Reformed theology
influential in later analytic discussions of free will
major work of early American philosophy
influenced Calvinism
surface form: "American Calvinism"

New England theology
later debates on free will in Christian theology
influencedBy Augustine of Hippo
John Calvin
Reformed scholasticism
language English
mainTopic divine sovereignty
free will
moral responsibility
opposesView Arminian concept of self-determining will
libertarian free will
philosophicalPositionDefended compatibilism
philosophicalTheme causation
moral agency
necessity and contingency
positionOnFreeWill freedom is compatible with divine determinism
positionOnHumanAbility denies libertarian free will in the sense of power to the contrary
publicationCentury 18th century
publicationYear 1754
religiousTradition Calvinism
Reformed churches
surface form: "Reformed Christianity"
theologicalTheme God’s moral government
divine foreknowledge
original sin
predestination
regeneration
viewOfGrace emphasizes the necessity of divine grace for any good act
viewOfWill the will is determined by the strongest motive or inclination

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Freedom of the Will hasPart The Freedom of the Will
this entity surface form: "Part I: Concerning the Nature of the Will"
Jonathan Edwards notableWork The Freedom of the Will

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