An Examination of President Edwards' Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will
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"An Examination of President Edwards' Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will" by Albert Taylor Bledsoe is a philosophical treatise written in the mid-19th century. The work critically engages with Jonathan Edwards' ideas on moral necessity and free will, exploring the foundations and implications of these philosophical concepts. Bledsoe aims to dispute Edwards' assertions about the relationship between volition, motive, and moral agency, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of free will
that diverges from determinism. The opening of the treatise presents Bledsoe’s approach to critically assess Edwards' "Inquiry" without bias, emphasizing his intent to uncover the truth regarding the nature of the will. He identifies the central question of Edwards' work—what determines the will—and clarifies the definitions of key terms like "volition" and "motive." Bledsoe critiques the assumption that motives serve simply as causes for volition, arguing that such a perspective leads to logical inconsistencies, including the potential for an infinite regress of causes. He also outlines his intent to disentangle the ideas of moral necessity and freedom, suggesting that a deeper examination of consciousness and the role of the mind is crucial for understanding human agency. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Bledsoe, Albert Taylor, 1809-1877 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 31014807 |
| Title | An Examination of President Edwards' Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will |
| Credits | Produced by Keith G Richardson |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 60.5 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | BT: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Doctrinal theology, God, Christology |
| Subject | Free will and determinism |
| Subject | Edwards, Jonathan, 1703-1758. Freedom of the will |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 35839 |
| Release Date | Apr 12, 2011 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 380 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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