God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will Defense
In a recent book and article, James Sterba has argued that there is no free will defense. It is the purpose of this article to show that, in the most technical sense, he is wrong. There is a version of the free will defense that can solve what Sterba (rightly) takes to be the most interesting and se...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/9/871 |
| _version_ | 1797482962295455744 |
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| author | David Kyle Johnson |
| author_facet | David Kyle Johnson |
| author_sort | David Kyle Johnson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In a recent book and article, James Sterba has argued that there is no free will defense. It is the purpose of this article to show that, in the most technical sense, he is wrong. There is a version of the free will defense that can solve what Sterba (rightly) takes to be the most interesting and severe version of the logical problem of moral evil. However, I will also argue that, in effect (or, we might say, in practice), Sterba is correct. The only working version of the free will defense requires embracing a view that entails consequences theists traditionally have not and cannot accept. Consequently, the one and only free will solution is not viable. Unless some other solution can be found (Sterba argues there is none), the logical problem of evil, as Sterba understands it, either commits one to atheism, or a version of theism that practically all theists would regard as a heresy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:40:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2b7d9ebee5349028b077b54b2313a56 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:40:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2b7d9ebee5349028b077b54b2313a562023-11-23T18:42:21ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-09-0113987110.3390/rel13090871God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will DefenseDavid Kyle Johnson0Department of Philosophy, King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711, USAIn a recent book and article, James Sterba has argued that there is no free will defense. It is the purpose of this article to show that, in the most technical sense, he is wrong. There is a version of the free will defense that can solve what Sterba (rightly) takes to be the most interesting and severe version of the logical problem of moral evil. However, I will also argue that, in effect (or, we might say, in practice), Sterba is correct. The only working version of the free will defense requires embracing a view that entails consequences theists traditionally have not and cannot accept. Consequently, the one and only free will solution is not viable. Unless some other solution can be found (Sterba argues there is none), the logical problem of evil, as Sterba understands it, either commits one to atheism, or a version of theism that practically all theists would regard as a heresy.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/9/871logical problem of moral evilJames Sterbaopen theismdivine non-interferencedivine prime directiveElif Nur Balci |
| spellingShingle | David Kyle Johnson God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will Defense Religions logical problem of moral evil James Sterba open theism divine non-interference divine prime directive Elif Nur Balci |
| title | God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will Defense |
| title_full | God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will Defense |
| title_fullStr | God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will Defense |
| title_full_unstemmed | God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will Defense |
| title_short | God’s Prime Directive: Non-Interference and Why There Is No (Viable) Free Will Defense |
| title_sort | god s prime directive non interference and why there is no viable free will defense |
| topic | logical problem of moral evil James Sterba open theism divine non-interference divine prime directive Elif Nur Balci |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/9/871 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidkylejohnson godsprimedirectivenoninterferenceandwhythereisnoviablefreewilldefense |