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Free Will and Determinism 2 - Coggle Diagram
Free Will and Determinism 2
Cases of Criminality and Determinism
Loeb and Leopald
not given death penalty but life sentences
Leopald was fascinated by Nietszche
both boys came from rich families & intelligent
21st May 1924
kidnapped Bobby Frank- body found naked & dead
Loeb= fascinated by crime- wanted to commit perfect murder
privileged upbringing brought them to believe they weren't bound by morality
Mary Bell
childhood= neglected, roughest part of town, mother had reputation
major works in newcastle, work sites became playgrounds
1968- 11 years old- killed 2 boys in Scotsdale (toddlers)
lived in bad place- with a prostitute as a mother
Mary was alone a lot- father was criminal & drunkard
could become aggressive- was avoided
teachers became aware had a sadistic side- eyes, mad
Martin Brown- aged 4- killed, taken from derilict house to hospital and pronounced dead
monday- Mary went to school
Murder of Jamie Bulger
lured child out of supermarket, took him to railway line, threw rocks & stones at him, beat him with iron bar, sexually abused him and left him on track where he was run over by train
Jon Venables & Robert Thompson killed Jamie
killed boy when aged 10 and were released aged 18
Jon Venables was one to re-offend but didn't have as bad a background as Thompson
Christians and Free Will
Problem of Evil
Albert Camus- "either we are not free and God, the all-powerful, is responsible for evil. Or we are free and responsible"- The Myth of Sisyphus
christians believe that God has granted humans free will is central to the view that God is not responsible for the moral evil in the world
The Fall
argue that adam and eve had freedom to use all resources God provided in Garden of Eden- but God told them not to eat of Tree of Knowledge
many libertarian theologians argue that this story is evidence that all humans are autonomous being who are morally responsible
God held them morally responsible for actions & punished them both
disobeyed god- must have had free will in order to do this
Biblical Support for Free Will
Paul implies people are free to make moral judgements in Galatians- "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love"
story of the fall
Roman Catholic church and free will
Summa Theologica, Aquinas explains: "I answer that man has free will otherwise counsels, exhorations, command, and prohibitions, rewards and punishment would be in vain"
Catholic Church define free will as "the power to act or not to act. to do this or that, and so the perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility"
Catechism takes into account factors which can limit or diminish our responsibility e.g. 'ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments and other psychological or social factors'
Protestant Tradition and Free Will
St Augustine of Hippo
understood that work of Christ was God's choice to save elected sinners, in order to show God's mercy- but God also chose to allow others to remain in their sins, unsaved in order to show God's justice
argued that no human being is able capable of preforming a good action without the grace of God & the sacrifice of Jesus
believed we inherit the sins of Adam and Eve- Doctrine of Original Sin
believed that humans were initially given free will, but had been corrupted by the Fall
however, rejected idea that some were predestined for salvation and others others predestined for damnation
God alone determines who will receive the grace that assures salvation
also argued that just because God has foreknowledge of our choices & decisions we make does not mean that humans don't make decisions freely
some protestant denominations reject idea free will & believe in predestination (form of theological determinism)
Predestination- the belief that God has a specific path marked out for each individual. In other words, God has already decided who will be saved and who will not
John Calvin
deduced that God calls a small number to eternal reward in heaven and damns the majority to Hell- Double Predestination
argued that as God is omnipotent & omniscient- has already who will go to heaven & who will be punished in hell
agreed with Augustine's views on Original Sin & believed that salvation could only be achieved through God's grace
"for the does not create everyone in the same condition but ordains eternal life for some and eternal damnation for others"
"nothing happens what he has not knowingly and willingly decreed"
those are given of salvation are called the 'Elect', those not given gift of salvation are in naturally sinful state & therefore destined for hell- called the 'Reprobate'
Biblical support for Predestination
"before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart"- Jeremiah 1v5
"and so those whom God set apart he called and those he called he put right with himself and he shared his glory with them"- Romans 8v30
Objections to Predestination
argue 'how can a God who creates people who He knows will suffer eternally in hell be called 'good'?
some christians argue that Calvin's view distorts the message of the cross- Jesus dies to save sinners
if God had already decided from beginning who would be saved and who would b damned what's the point of Jesus' death