From the problem of evil to the joy of being as gift A commentary on Augustine's De libero arbitrio

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José Reinaldo Felipe Martins Filho

Abstract

From the analysis of Augustine’s “De libero arbitrio”, it is shown not only that God is not the source and origin of evil, but also that free will is a gift, a divine gift given to man so that he may flee form evil and from sin (a protective help and a vow of divine


trust in the government of human actions and choices). Even divine foreknowledge and sin do not negate man’s ability to choose good, an argument that corroborates free will as a good of its own. Augustine, in this way, presents reason as the most perfect capacity for the assimilation of free will and its action in the man’s life, as well as a calling to the responsibility that derives from it. Moreover, this perspective of free will as the aptitude and gift of the Creator enables the man to respond to Him as he ought: praising God, by recognizing the goodness and beauty of creation, and living in true joy as a consequence of the constant pursuit and follow of the good (man’s full realization and his purpose in the divine plan).

Article Details

How to Cite
Martins Filho, J. R. F. (2018). From the problem of evil to the joy of being as gift: A commentary on Augustine’s De libero arbitrio. Brasiliensis, 7(13), 49-91. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8128308
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Author Biography

José Reinaldo Felipe Martins Filho, Instituto de Filosofia e Teologia de Goiás (IFITEG): Goiânia, Goiás, BR

Doutor em Ciências da Religião pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás (PUC-GO); professor no Instituto de Filosofia e Teologia Santa Cruz (IFITEG/ISC); doutorando em Filosofia, pela Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG).

How to Cite

Martins Filho, J. R. F. (2018). From the problem of evil to the joy of being as gift: A commentary on Augustine’s De libero arbitrio. Brasiliensis, 7(13), 49-91. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8128308