HoP 451 - Could’ve, Would’ve, Should’ve - Free Will in the Second Scholastic
History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
Deep Dive
What was Luis de Molina's doctrine of middle knowledge about?
Molina's middle knowledge is about God knowing in advance what humans would do in any given situation, without determining their actions. It allows for human free will while maintaining divine foreknowledge.
Why did Molina's theory of middle knowledge provoke controversy?
Molina's theory suggested that humans have genuine free will, which some theologians, like Domingo Bañez, saw as undermining God's direct influence over human actions. This debate was between those who wanted to preserve human free will and those who emphasized divine control.
How does Molina's middle knowledge differ from natural and free knowledge?
Natural knowledge concerns necessary truths (e.g., squares have four sides), while free knowledge involves God's decisions about what will happen. Middle knowledge, however, is about contingent events (e.g., what someone would do in a specific situation) that are neither necessary nor determined by God's choices.
What is the significance of middle knowledge for human free will?
Middle knowledge ensures that human actions are contingent, meaning they could have been otherwise. This preserves moral responsibility, as humans are not merely puppets of divine foreknowledge or divine decisions.
How did Molina respond to objections that his theory undermines human freedom?
Molina argued that while God knows what humans would do in various scenarios, humans still make their own choices. God's foreknowledge does not determine the action, so humans remain free to choose.
What role does divine grace play in Molina's theory?
Molina believed that divine grace assists humans in making righteous choices, but it does not determine their actions. Grace is always available to those who strive to do good, ensuring their success in resisting temptation.
Why did Domingo Bañez oppose Molina's theory?
Bañez argued that Molina's theory gave humans too much independent power to choose, which he saw as undermining God's direct influence. He believed that human actions required divine activation to occur.
What was the outcome of the controversy over Molina's middle knowledge?
The controversy remained unresolved, with the Catholic Church declaring both Molina's and Bañez's positions as tolerable. The papacy did not officially decide which view was correct.
- Molina is best known for his doctrine of 'middle knowledge'.
- The problem of free will and divine foreknowledge dates back to Aristotle and has been a persistent theme in theological debates.
- Molina's theory attempts to balance human free will and God's omniscience without resorting to determinism or Pelagianism.
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