The Problem of Divine Foreknowledge and Future Contingents from Aristotle to Suarez

Description

The present work attempts to present in-depth case studies of the views of eight of the most important thinkers who have dealt with the problem of theological fatalism. It is not intended to be a history of the debate nor to catalogue all the various options proffered as solutions to the problem. Indeed, my primary interest is in seeing how Christian thinkers committed both to divine knowledge of the future and to freedom reconcile those commitments. It is for this reason that the otherwise interesting contribution of a thinker like Gersonides, who denied the validity of the Principle of Bivalence for future contingent propositions and consequently God's knowledge of future contingents, is left aside. Our interest lies with those philosophers or theologians who wanted to adhere both to future contingency and God's knowledge of such events. PREFACE CHAPTER ONE. ARISTOTLE THE INTERPRETIVE CONTROVERSY PRELIMINARY NOTE ON ARISTOTLE'S MODAL TERMS STRUCTURE OF CHAPTER NINE I. Introduction II. Development of Fatalistic Difficulties A. Threat of Fatalism B. Absurdity of Fatalism III. Resolution of Fatalistic Difficulties A. Necessity and Conditional Necessity B. Predicating Necessity Collectively and Distributively C. Application to Future Contingent Singular Propositions SUMMARY CHAPTER TWO. AUGUSTINE TURN TO THEOLOGICAL FATALISM AUGUSTINE'S CONTEXT OF THEODICY AUGUSTINE'S PROBLEM OF THEOLOGICAL FATALISM AUGUSTINE'S SOLUTION SUMMARY FOREKNOWLEDGE AND ETERNITY CHAPTER THREE. BOETHIUS PROBLEM OF THEOLOGICAL FATALISM BOETHIUS's SOLUTION SUMMARY CHAPTER FOUR. THOMAS AQUINAS GOD'S KNOWLEDGE OF NON-EXISTENTS GOD'S KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE CONTINGENTS Objections to God's Foreknowledge Thomas's Position on God's Foreknowledge Answers to Objections Summary THOMAS'S IMPLIED THEORY OF TIME GOD'S KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THINGS THROUGH HIS ESSENCE GOD'S KNOWLEDGE AS THE CAUSE OF THINGS CHAPTER FIVE. JOHN DUNS SCOTUS SCOTUS'S POSITION ON GOD'S KNOWLEDGE Rejection of Previous Opinions Scotus's Own View OBJECTIONS AND REPLIES Concerning God's Determinate Know Concerning God's Certain and Infallible Knowledge Concerning the Necessity of God's Knowledge Concerning the Compatibility of God's Knowledge with Contingency SUMMARY CHAPTER SIX. WILLIAM OCKHAM GOD'S DETERMINATE KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE CONTINGENTS Objections Ockham's Position on the Truth Value of Future Contingent Propositions Replies to Objections GOD'S CERTAIN AND INFALLIBLE KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE CONTINGENTS Objections Replies to Objections GOD'S NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE CONTINGENTS Arguments for Necessity Refutation of Arguments SUMMARY CHAPTER SEVEN. LUIS MOLINA DIVINE FOREKNOWLEDGE AND FUTURE CONTINGENTS Infallible Knowledge of Future Contingents Reconciliation of Foreknowledge and Contingency PRESCIENCE, PROVIDENCE, AND PREDESTINATION Prescience Providence Predestination SUMMARY CHAPTER EIGHT. FRANCISCO SUAREZ GOD'S KNOWLEDGE OF ACTUALLY FUTURE CONTINGENTS The Basis of God's Foreknowledge of Future Contingents Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Future Contingency Summary GOD'S KNOWLEDGE OF CONDITIONALLY FUTURE CONTINGENTS Defense of Divine Middle Knowledge The Basis of God's Middle Knowledge Summary NOTES TO CHAPTER ONE SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX