Free will (OCR A-Level Religious Studies): Revision Notes

Free will

Key definitions:

Free will:

The ability of individuals to have autonomy over their decision-making without the influence of external influences.

Determinism:

Implies that all events and decisions are decided by prior events

Predestination:

The belief that God knows what we will do before we are even born.

Process theology:

Suggests that God cannot have complete knowledge of the future, as the future is not determined in order to preserve our free will.

The 'free will defence':

God allows evil in the world as a result of granting human beings free will.

Debates surrounding free will

• Free will and predestination seem to be incompatible, how can we choose our actions if God already knows how we will act and he cannot be wrong?
• If we cannot change our future, how can we be held responsible for our actions?
• If humans are subject to the original sin, how can humans have free will?
• If God knows everything that we will do, even if he does not cause us to act that way, we can still do no other than what he knows we will do.

Libertarianism vs. Compatibilism

Libertarianism: This view argues that free will is incompatible with determinism. In other words, if God predetermines everything, humans cannot truly have free will. Some modern theologians and philosophers who take this view emphasise that human freedom must involve genuine choice, not merely the appearance of choice.

Compatibilism: Compatibilists argue that free will and determinism can coexist. In the theological context, this means that God's foreknowledge and sovereignty do not negate human free will. According to this view, humans can act freely even if their actions are part of God's predetermined plan.

Process Theology

• God and Change: Process theology, developed by thinkers like Alfred North Whitehead, suggests that God is not immutable (unchanging) but is in a dynamic relationship with creation. In this view, God influences but does not determine human actions, preserving human free will.
• Free Will and Omniscience: Process theologians argue that God knows all possible outcomes but not the specific future actions of individuals. This allows for genuine free will while maintaining God's omniscience in a broader sense.

Open Theism

• Open Theism: Open theists like Clark Pinnock argue that God voluntarily limits His knowledge of future human actions to allow for genuine free will. This view challenges traditional notions of God's omniscience but preserves the idea that humans have meaningful choices.
• Divine Foreknowledge and Free Will: Open theists claim that if God knows the future in detail, then human freedom is illusory. By limiting His foreknowledge, God ensures that human free will is real.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD)

• Free Will and Original Sin: Augustine believed that humans were created with free will, but the Fall (the sin of Adam and Eve) introduced original sin into human nature, impairing humanity's ability to choose the good. According to Augustine, humanity's will is now inclined towards sin, and only through God's grace can humans be redeemed.
• The Role of Grace: Augustine emphasised that God's grace is necessary for salvation. Without God's intervention, human free will is insufficient to overcome the effects of original sin. Therefore, although humans have free will, it is limited and corrupted.
• Predestination: Augustine also introduced the concept of predestination, suggesting that God, in His omniscience, already knows who will be saved and who will not. This leads to a tension between free will and divine foreknowledge.

John Calvin (1509–1564)

• Calvin and Predestination: John Calvin is most famous for his doctrine of predestination, particularly the idea of "double predestination." According to Calvin, God has already chosen some people for salvation (the elect) and others for damnation (the reprobate). This is entirely based on God's will and not on human actions.
• Determinism and Free Will: In Calvin's view, free will is largely irrelevant to salvation. Human beings are so corrupted by original sin that they are incapable of choosing good without divine intervention. Salvation is entirely dependent on God's will.
• Theological Implications: Calvin's theology raises questions about human moral responsibility. If God predestines individuals to salvation or damnation, it seems to limit the significance of human choices and actions. However, Calvin argued that God's justice and mercy are beyond human comprehension.