Christian Lombardi
Dr. Edgar Foster
Phil 102 01
7 November, 2014
Analysis of Free Will Concept in Boethius
Free will is defined as being of one owns actions; voluntary. Yet the argument that presents itself and that has plagued the human mind for many centuries is if we are truly capable of free will. In order to solve this conundrum we must first know what free will truly is and how it is relevant in everyday life.
Boethius’s work, The Consolation of Philosophy describes what free will is and the concepts that back the idea of free will itself. From what I gained from the reading Boethius views freedom as being able to determine things for oneself. That if ones actions are predetermined than the idea of free will is nonexistent. Unfortunately this leads to the problem that if God is an all powerful being than he is capable of seeing everything in advance. This means that the events that a rational human being will perform has already been seen and interpreted by God. Thus creating the idea that free will is not capable because free will seems to be defined as not predetermined. Therefore it seems that human beings and all other rational creatures do not live a life of free will. …show more content…
Because it is not God who causes those events to happen. He does not interfere with our daily life or our rational thought. Boethius writes “ And, although they happen, they do not, by their existence, lose their proper natures by which, before they happened, they were not able to happen.” This quote is significant because it shows that the events of which he refers to being predetermined by God are that of necessity. Therefore showing that human action is controlled by
Dr. Edgar Foster
Phil 102 01
7 November, 2014
Analysis of Free Will Concept in Boethius
Free will is defined as being of one owns actions; voluntary. Yet the argument that presents itself and that has plagued the human mind for many centuries is if we are truly capable of free will. In order to solve this conundrum we must first know what free will truly is and how it is relevant in everyday life.
Boethius’s work, The Consolation of Philosophy describes what free will is and the concepts that back the idea of free will itself. From what I gained from the reading Boethius views freedom as being able to determine things for oneself. That if ones actions are predetermined than the idea of free will is nonexistent. Unfortunately this leads to the problem that if God is an all powerful being than he is capable of seeing everything in advance. This means that the events that a rational human being will perform has already been seen and interpreted by God. Thus creating the idea that free will is not capable because free will seems to be defined as not predetermined. Therefore it seems that human beings and all other rational creatures do not live a life of free will. …show more content…
Because it is not God who causes those events to happen. He does not interfere with our daily life or our rational thought. Boethius writes “ And, although they happen, they do not, by their existence, lose their proper natures by which, before they happened, they were not able to happen.” This quote is significant because it shows that the events of which he refers to being predetermined by God are that of necessity. Therefore showing that human action is controlled by