Free Will Flashcards
What are Carl Rogers’ dates?
1902-1987
What did Rogers found?
Rogers Client Centred Therapy
What 2 theories did Rogers reject?
- Freud’s observations of patients as objects
- behaviour as solely determined by conditioning or trauma
Who was Rogers influenced by?
Otto Rank
What is Rogers’ central argument?
Humans have the ability to will self development
What did Rogers believe are the 3 essential characteristics of therapists?
- Fully functioning and congruent
- Acceptance of patients as individuals
- Empathy and sensitivity
How is Rogers a compatibilist?
As a scientist, he accepted growing evidence for determinism but acknowledged some element of freedom
What was Rogers’ work and when was it written?
‘On Becoming A Person’ 1961
How are incongruent people determined?
Controlled by denial and distortion and so not free to make an effective choice
How does therapy impact patients according to Rogers?
Allows them to experience complete freedom
How are humans free to self-develop?
Humans are born with an inherent actualising tendency which may be suppressed but cannot be destroyed
What is the actual self?
The view of ourself as a result of life experience
What is the ideal self?
The aspiration, who we want to be
What is congruence?
Internal harmony, used by Rogers to measure the self actualising process
How does congruence link to a FFP?
An FFP will have greater congruence between ideal and actual selves
What are the 4 Areas of Development to become an FFP?
- Openness
- Existential living
- Increasing trust
- Functioning more fully
How does openness lead to full functioning?
Becoming increasingly open to all experience provides opportunities to work through problems
How does existential living lead to full functioning?
Living fully in each moment allows the ability to move forward
How does increasing trust lead to full functioning?
Confidence in one’s feelings and instincts allows successful evaluation and decision making
Who researched scientific libertarianism, when and which paper reported it?
- Sirigu and Desmurget
- 2009
- Science Journal
What was the claim of Sirigu’s experiment?
Stimulating the posterior parietal cortex can produce intentions to act
What is the function of the parietal cortex?
Transforms visual information into motor commands
What did Sirigu’s experiment find?
When specific junctions of nerve cell communication were identified and given limits, it created the neuronal correlates of consciousness for intention and agency
What is it possible to conclude about free will from Sirigu’s experiment?
Desire to move originates in the parietal cortex, so decision making is a real brain event, not an illusion
How has Sirigu’s conclusion been challenged?
A leap in reasoning, doesn’t necessarily answer the question of voluntary agent control
What were Sartre’s dates?
1905-1980
What did Sartre write?
‘Being and Nothingness’
What is our self-consciousness a result of?
The process of interaction of our consciousness with existence
What is neant?
Sartre’s understanding of human essence as empty of being-in-itself
What is etre-pour-soi?
Beings for themselves, self-conscious and aware of the self
What can beings-for-themselves discover?
Their own nothingness
What is facticity?
The elements of a being that cannot be changed
What is etre-en-soi?
Beings in themselves, lacks consciousness and is factitious
Why are beings-for-themselves condemned to be free?
The concept of freedom is inherent to the nature of self-consciousness, a self-conscious being must choose and define itself
What is Sartre’s notion of gap?
Gap is the distance between a person’s consciousness and the physical world that necessitates free will
What is the ultimate goal for the existentialist?
Authenticity (full responsibility) of self-consciousness
What is Bad Faith?
Self-deception, an attitude of fear in which one remains a being-in-itself due to anxiety of freedom
What causes Bad Faith?
Etiquette and social constraints
What is the Waiter analogy?
- ‘Waiter’ being considered the sum of a person’s identity is a form of self-deception
- A person’s essence cannot be defined by a role
- A role should only provide a spring-board for the pursuit of being-for-itself
What does Sartre believe is the purpose of ethical life?
Working toward a state of freedom from such constraints that life brings
What does Sartre argue about responsibility?
We are condemned to be fully responsible for our actions and ethical in our dealings with others
What were Arminius’ dates?
1559-1609
What was Arminius’ background to the free will debate?
- initially Calvinist and supported Theodore Beza
- later became dissatisfied with Calvinist predestination and developed his own version, compatible with free will
What is the Arminian version of conditional predestination?
Foreknowledge without determinism, where God is aware of the computation of all choices
What is providence for Arminius?
God’s sustaining of the universe by monitoring and guiding it
What does Arminius write about divine concurrence?
God concurs human action and provides the powers and abilities to act
What does divine concurrence lead Arminius to conclude about free will?
It must be within God’s parameters, but he is just an enabler, not a performer of human actions
What is Arminius’ view on sin?
- the origin of sin can be found in God
- in line with concurrence, God allows sin to occur but doesn’t necessarily approve of it
What does Arminius argue about Original Sin?
It is a lack of original righteousness and a punishment, can be considered either depravation or deprivation
What is deprivation in regard to Original Sin? (A)
To be deprived if the original spiritual likeness of God, lost due to the fall
What is depravation in regard to Original Sin? (A)
A certain state infused into humanity due to Original Sin
Does Arminius lean to deprivation or depravation?
Deprivation
What does God’s providence provide? (A)
Grace to choose freely the righteous path in life through faith
What is Arminius’ prevenient grace?
God’s grace that precedes each human moral decision in association with the Holy Spirit
How does the Holy Spirit operate in humanity? (A)
Encourages them to do good and acts as an omnipresent aid to assist from temptation
What does prevenient grace and the Holy Spirit show about salvation?
Salvation is freely chosen by the righteous but is not awarded on grounds of merit
Who developed the idea of Middle Knowledge? (A)
Luis de Medina, Spanish Jesuit Priest in the 16th Century
What are the characteristics of Middle Knowledge? (4) (A)
- prior to creative act of God
- independent of God’s will
- contingent
- God is aware of its possible outcomes
What does Middle Knowledge allow God? (A)
Information on how humanity would act under certain circumstances
What are the key areas associated with Arminius? (7)
- conditional predestination
- providence
- divine concurrence
- deprivation/depravation
- prevenient grace
- middle knowledge
- Synod of Dort
What is the name of Arminius’ written exposition of his theology, where and when was it delivered?
- The Declaration of Sentiments
- The Hague
- 13th October 1608
What are the 2 main views Arminius expressed in the Declaration of Sentiments?
- Salvation is available to all
- Grace and potential for salvation are prior to predestination
What is the 1st decree of the Declaration of Sentiments?
People receive salvation through Christ
What is the 2nd decree of the Declaration of Sentiments?
God chooses elect and reprobated based on middle knowledge of faith
What is the 3rd decree of the Declaration of Sentiments?
God orchestrates the divine plan in accordance with what is necessary for repentance
What is the 4th decree of the Declaration of Sentiments?
God knows through middle knowledge who will reject or persevere with prevenient grace
How does the presence of the Holy Spirit still allow for free will? (A)
Balances impulse to sin, does not entirely override it
What is Belgic Confession?
A Latin document dealing with Christian teaching from the Dutch Reformed Protestant view
What was the aim of the Synod of Dort?
To settle the rising controversy of Arminianism under the 1566 Belgic Confession which was principally Calvinist
When was the Synod of Dort?
1618-19
Who did the Synod of Dort consist of?
Representatives of the Reformed Protestant Churches of Germany, Switzerland, England and the Netherlands
What was the Remonstrance?
The protest of Arminians towards Calvinism , critical of Calvin and the Belgic Confession
What were the 5 articles of the Remonstrance?
- Salvation is for those who accept God’s grave
- Salvation is freely available but needs faith in grace
- Good is only possible through the grace of God
- Grace is not irresistible
- Through the Holy Spirit, a believer is enable to partake in the life-giving power of the spirit
Why were the articles of the Remonstrances rejected and what were the consequences?
- Contrary to the Bible
- Expelled from the Dutch Reformed Church
What were Pelagius’ dates?
354-420
What was Pelagius’ work?
‘Defence of the Freedom of the Will’
What was Pelagius’ religious background?
- Christian Celtic monk
- ascetic, abstained from material pleasures
- declared a heretic at the Council of Carthage
Where does the word ‘soteriology’ originate?
Greek ‘soter’ meaning salvation
What is soteriology?
Study of the doctrine of salvation
How does Pelagius disagree with Augustine on soteriology?
Pelagius argues salvation is a human responsibility whereas Augustine argues it is achieved universally through Jesus’ sacrifice
How did Augustine criticise Pelagius?
Saw him as an enemy of the grace of God, making Christ redundant
How did Barth criticise Pelagius?
Says he replaces God’s determinism of man with self-determinism
How did Jerome criticise Pelagius?
Says he was the promoter of both Origen and his doctrine of sinlessness, and rationalistic moralism which rejects God
What is the doctrine of sinlessness?
The idea that Mary chose not to sin, upheld by the Catholic Church
How did Origen of Alexandria deny the doctrine of sinlessness?
Questioned why Mary must be sinless when the apostles were not, said Jesus dies for her sins as he did everyone else’s
What is rationalistic moralism?
Moral principles are known a priori, by reason alone
What does Pelagius view predestination as?
An excuse for immoral behaviour
What leads to sin according to Pelagius?
Participation in the fallen world, not inherited tendency
What are humans given by God according to Pelagius?
The ability for autonomy and voluntary goodness, making virtue meaningful
How did Pelagius view Original Sin?
Not inherent, belonging to Adam and Eve alone as an benevolent God would not punish someone for another’s sin
How does Augustine challenge Pelagius’ view on original sin?
- it heretically implies that human can achieve their own salvation
- suggests humans can be perfect like God
- threatens omnipotence
What is Manichaeism?
Belief in the conflicting powers off light and darkness
How does Pelagius say inheritance of sin implies Manichaeism and dualism?
If sin is inherited it becomes a separate element of human existence
What does Pelagius believe are the benefits of the Fall?
Allowed the process of maturity to begin, long term benefits outweigh short term pitfalls
How did Pelagius view the period of Adam to Moses in the Old Testament?
It offers examples of men who lived according to rules, in touch with their own nature
What did Pelagius consider as the purpose of the Laws of Moses?
Remedies for ignorance to the freedom of their nature to choose between good and evil
What according to Pelagius balances responsibility between God and humanity?
Grace initiates and stimulates but does not forcibly determine, humans have moral autonomy
Why does Pelagius disagree with irresistible grace?
Good freely chosen is more meaningful
What is the historical context behind Pelagius?
His work was a reaction to the hypocrisy and immorality of what he encountered in Rome
Free will and predestination can be reconciled:
- Augustine allowed that people may choose freedom within the confines of human nature
- Human nature is free but has been compromised by original sin
- Arminius argues that humans cooperate with God in moral responsibility
What did Karl Rahner argue about human nature?
It consists of the first person (makes real choices) and the second nature (constrained by biology, society etc)
Free Will and Predestination cannot be reconciled:
- It is a paradox to suggest Adam freely committed original sin if God preordained it
- Feinburg stated that is God is certain about the choice someone will make, it is not a free choice
- Making them compatible means redefining one, making free will only to sin or predestination the knowledge of all possible events
Religious views on free will are convincing:
- The end goal of salvation maintains the integrity of God’s omnipotence
- Arminius ensures God’s control in that God concurs human action
- Free Will is essential for religious belief
Religious views on free will are not convincing:
- Augustine is inconsistent as the fall contradicts omnipotence in the ability to disobey
- Unconvincing to argues omnipotence can be maintained when authority is abdicated
- Arguments are coherent but not necessarily convincing
Libertarianism makes its acceptance inevitable:
- Kant argues moral laws only make sense if we can freely choose to obey them
- Sartre believed the only thing we have no option to accept is our freedom to choose
- Rogers argues that patients of RCCT will inevitably accept freedom to make choices consistent with their own personality
Libertarianism does not make its acceptance inevitable:
- Rogers’ evidence is not sufficient
- Paul-Henri Theiry d’Holbach argues that we think we are free because we consent tot what we are caused to do
- Sirigu does not indicate enough about reality of free will - conclusions sensationalised by headlines
Inevitable freedom - Sartre
‘we are a freedom which chooses, but we do not choose to be free: we are condemned to be free’
Free Will is unavoidable - Sartre
‘not choosing is a choice’
Sirigu’s conclusion - Science Journal
‘conscious intention and motor awareness thus arise from increased parietal activity before movement execution’
FFP - Rogers
‘it appears that the person who is psychologically free moves in the direction of becoming a more fully functioning person. He is more able to live fully in and with each and all of his feelings and reactions’
Omnibenevolent God would not punish original sin - Deuteronomy 24:16
‘parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; everyone will die for their own sins’
Original sin - Pelagius
‘Just as a young person needs to defy his parents in order to grow maturity, so Adam and Eve needed to defy God in order to grow to maturity in his image’
Benefits of free will - Pelagius
‘This very capacity to do evil is also good. Because it makes the good part better by making it voluntary and independent’
Providence - Arminius
‘providence is a solicitous, continued and universally present supervision of God over the whole world’
Origin of sin - Stanglin and McCall
‘sin is the result of the abuse of the precious gift of freedom that God graciously bestowed upon humanity’
Article 2 of the Remonstrance
‘Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world died for all men… yet that no one actually enjoys this forgiveness of sin except the believer’
Free Will before the Fall: Genesis 1:26
‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden’
Joshua 24:15
‘then choose for yourself this day whom you will serve’
