A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will" — John Shaqi
A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will"Tappan, Henry Philip
Religion
A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will"
Tappan, Henry Philip
Edwards, Jonathan, 1703-1758. Freedom of the will; Free will and determinism
"God has endued the soul with two faculties: one is that by which it is
capable of perception and speculation, or by which it discerns, and
views, and judges of things; which is called the understanding. The
other faculty is that by which the soul does not merely perceive and
view things, but is in some way inclined with respect to the things it
views or considers; either is inclined _to them_, or is disinclined or
averse _from them_. This faculty is called by various names: it is
sometimes called _inclination_; and as it has respect to the actions
that are determined or governed by it, is called will. The _will_ and
the _affections_ of the soul are not two faculties: the affections are
not essentially distinct from the will, nor do they differ from the mere
actings of the will and inclination of the soul, but only in the
liveliness and sensibleness of exercise." (The Nature of the Affections,
part I.) That Edwards makes but two faculties of the mind, the
understanding and the will, as well as identifies the will and the
passions, is fully settled by the above quotation.
"Sec. II.--Concerning the Determination of Will."
_Meaning of the term._
"By _determining_ the will, if the phrase be used with any meaning, must
be intended, _causing_ that the act of the will or choice should be thus
and not otherwise; and the will is said to be determined, when in
consequence of some action or influence, its choice is directed to, and
fixed upon, some particular object. As when we speak of the
determination of motion, we mean causing the motion of the body to be in
such a direction, rather than in another. The determination of the will
supposes an effect, which must have a cause. If the will be determined,
there is a determiner."
Now the causation of choice and the determination of the will are here
intended to be distinguished, no more than the causation of motion and
the determination of the moving body. The cause setting a body in
motion, likewise gives it a direction; and where there are several
causes, a composition of the forces takes place, and determines both the
extent and direction of the motion. So also the cause acting upon the
will or the faculty of choice, in producing a choice determines its
direction; indeed, choice cannot be conceived of, without also
conceiving of something chosen, and where something is chosen, the
direction of the choice is determined, that is, the will is determined.
And where there are several causes acting upon the will, there is here
likewise a composition of the mental forces, and the choice or the
determination of the will takes place accordingly. (See p. 23.) Choice
or volition then being an effect must have a cause. What is this cause?
_Motive._
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