Theme A. Religious concepts of predestination, with reference to the teachings of: St Augustine: Doctrine of Original Sin: role of concupiscence, humanity as "a lump of sin" (massa peccati), an essentially 'free' human nature (liberum abitrium), the loss of human liberty (libertas) to our sinful nature, God's grace and atonement for the elect / saints. John Calvin: Doctrine of Election: the absolute power of God, the corrupted nature of humans, the Elect and the Reprobates, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the elect.
Theme B. Concepts of determinism: Hard determinism: philosophical (John Locke - free will is an illusion, man in bedroom illustration), scientific (biological determinism - human behaviour is controlled by an individual's genes), psychological (Ivan Pavlov - classical conditioning). Soft determinism: Thomas Hobbes (internal and external causes), A.J. Ayer (caused acts v forced acts).
Soft Determinism - A.J. Ayer
Soft Determinism - A.J. Ayer
Theme C. The implications of predestination / determinism: The implications of determinism (hard and soft) on moral responsibility: the worth of human ideas of rightness, wrongness and moral value, the value in blaming moral agents for immoral acts, the usefulness of normative ethics. The implications of predestination on religious belief: the link between God and evil, the implications for God’s omnipotence and omnibenevolence, the use of prayer and the existence of miracles.
Theme D. Religious concepts of free will, with reference to the teachings of: Pelagius: The role of original sin, humanity maturing in God’s image and accepting the responsibility of free will, free will as used to follow God’s laws, the role of grace in salvation. Arminius: Denial of the Calvinist view of predestination, the effect of original sin on free will, God's 'prevenient' grace (the Holy Spirit) in allowing humans to exercise free will, the Elect and the possibility of rejecting God's grace, the election of believers being conditional on faith
Pelagius on Free Will Religious
Concepts of Free Will - Arminius
Pelagius on Free Will Religious
Concepts of Free Will - Arminius
Theme E. Concepts of libertarianism: Philosophical (Jean Paul Sartre: man is not free not to be free, waiter illustration), scientific (Angela Sirigu's research evidence that the brain allows for free will), psychological (Carl Rogers: humanist approach, self-actualisation).
BBC Sartre
BBC Sartre
Theme F. The implications of libertarianism and free will: The implications of libertarianism on moral responsibility: the worth of human ideas of rightness, wrongness and moral value, the value in blaming moral agents for immoral acts, the usefulness of normative ethics.The implications of free will on religious belief: the link between God and evil, the implications for God’s omnipotence and omnibenevolence, the use of prayer and the existence of miracles.