RE: Free will and the necessary evil
November 1, 2022 at 12:05 pm
(This post was last modified: November 1, 2022 at 12:05 pm by BrianSoddingBoru4.)
(November 1, 2022 at 10:23 am)Neo-Scholastic Wrote:(November 1, 2022 at 8:55 am)Helios Wrote: The idea to have free will there must be a choice of evil is absurd. There is no reason being couldn't have a choice but could only conceive of doing good acts and be incapable of conceiving of doing evil ones. So the idea of evil is necessary or that it somehow gives Christianity an out on the problem of evil is simply a pipe dream. As is the absurdity that it's not a contradiction for a good god to allow evil to exist.
If there can be only one perfect being, in the Scholastic sense, then by necessity all other being would be imperfect and subject to privation of some good. That is not absurd. It is supremely sensible. Also, within the Scholastic tradition, which underpins Catholic dogma, freewill seems to be defined more in terms of an individual's desire and ability to manifest good in their lives when presented with the opportunity and not so much about isolated decisions.
How does being imperfect require the privation of some good? In the thought experiment above, the good people left in the world are not required to be perfect, just good enough to never commit an evil act.
The ‘desire and ability’ definition doesn’t work, for reasons already stated: for free will to be operative, God would need to be less than perfect. Sure you want to go there?
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax