Translated as free will, the Latin phrase liber arbiter (coined by early European philosophers) literally means independent arbitrator, where the quality of arbitrator refers to human beings' faculty to decide on the worth of anything, whereas that of independent refers to their capacity of self-objectivation. Regarded as Man's ability to cause his own course of actions by his own means, free will referrs to the control of instinctual and emotional behavior through reason.
The present inquiry reviews in brief all the philosophical ideas (in metaphysics, epistemology and ethics) relevant to the problem of liber arbiter put forth by ancient European thinkers. Scroll down the list in the side bar and check the concise articles on each philosopher’s view on free will.
1 comment:
Laurence-I really enjoyed this comprehensive explanation of the ancient's view of free will.
Post a Comment