I have just been reading Boethius's CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY and if you are at all into philosophy I highly recommend it. But on to the issue at hand. Do we in fact have free will? The deeper question is this one if God knows all that we do and all decisions we make is that truly free will. Boethius argues that we do have free will. He says that God resides outside of time and that for God he sees all possible choices we might make. The thought being that since God is outside of time there is no past or present or future. That for God all these happen at the same time. I would argue that his defense is flawed in that I believe that if we feel that God's knowledge is divine and that he can not make a mistake. Well then if God were to see us do something and then we do something else it brings into question the divinity of God or whether or not he can make a mistake. I think that is the flaw in Boethius's reasoning. I am not sure if I feel one way or the other on this issue. I lean toward the no freewill side of the argument but I feel that while Boethius's defense of it makes some sense. I feel that he makes that one fatal flaw. Thoughts?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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For the sake of argument, lets say that our "will" is not divine. Let us also define God as being all-knowing and unlimited, and thereby fully aware and in control of what we will do and how things turn out prior to their occurance within our time. As our human "will" is not divine but subject to our human finiteness and limitations, then God, being knowing, present in all time,and without limitations, can choose when and how to limit or express himself in regards to that foreknowledge of our human lives. In that sense, a self-limiting God can know any number of infinite possible outcomes for any one of his creatures and yet choose, like a parent does with a small child, to allow them/us independence, choices and the "free will" to follow any one of the infinite paths He knows are possible. By the same token, God can work around any of our linear and logical thought patterns to work within our finite minds so that we can have the "free will" to make any choice with any outcome. While we, by our very human limitations, would be unable to have "free will" because of the constraints of our knowledge, our time, our physical bodies, and our limited strength, God, by limiting himself to interact with us on our level, is the sole provider of our sense of "free will". Perhaps God, forever knowing humans would have a desire to be willful and freed of our constraints, is the very One who can provide the "free will" we so desire.
I've got to admit this whole predestination/free will thing use to drive me nuts.
Not so much anymore.
I'm not exactly sure what happened to get me to not care so much about it... Maybe I just got tired of the fight.
Without regard to fate, the choices I face in life are clearly felt. I feel the ability to choose any option at present. I have spent far to much of my life living like a zombie of sorts, just stumbling along in whatever direction I'm pointed. Choices are there in front of me: family reunion? Yes or No? Church service? Yes or No? New Job? Yes or No?
Whether the path is carved out already, I don't know. I do know it requires increadable energy to choose my own path rather then let life just happen.
Check out Greg Boyd and Openness Theology. The idea is that God knows all of the infinitely possible futures.
The problem of freewill is based on our experience. If we did not experience the perception of freewill, we would not question whether we have it or not. By experiencing it, we know that at least the "perception" of freewill exists.
So perhaps freewill is relative, in that to me, in my perception, I have freewill. But to God, in his perception, my will is determined.
Hmmmm...
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