Will

• The human potential

  • can be polar opposites
  • Rousseau - humans are essentially generous and only act otherwise when situation and circumstances cause them to act otherwise
  • Rousseau - 'man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains', the purpose of life is to escape these chains, to cooperate and be kind
  • Hobbes - humans are not naturally cooperative but selfish and animal-like, although humans have the power to reason
  • Hobbes - the purpose of life is to conquer the animalistic side of human nature and create fair societies
• The will as love

  • will is God-given
  • will determines our choices
  • it is synonymous with love, a kind of force pulling us in various directions
  • it is self-driven by cupidtas (self-love) and caritas (generous love)
  • to love God and others, you must love yourself first
• The human will before The Fall

  • humans enjoyed harmony, obedience of Adam and Eve to God
  • a time when the human body, will and reason are in complete cooperation with each other - Augustine
• The human will after the fall

  • pride caused humans to reject their perfect relationship with the world and God
  • Adam and Eve at the apple from the tree as a sign of their desire to be like God -Augustine
  • Augustine based his ideas off Satan as a fallen angel who fell from grace due to pride
• The divided will

  • the distorted soul or will had now become divided
  • the paradoxical state of the will, having the will to do good but being weakened by desires and doing bad - St. Paul
  • the will is weakened because of the sin caused by the Fall - Augustine
• Free will and predestination

  • human beings do not voluntarily choose sin but are inevitably prone to sin
  • nobody is free from lust, thus encouraged married couples to abstain from sex
  • predestination, only God knows who is deserving of grace (the elect)