Religion and Ethics
Theme 4: determinism and Free will – Determinism.
A. Religious Concepts of predestination, with reference to the teachings of St Augustine and
John Calvin.
Introduction;
A. Basic Concepts:
Free will: the capacity of humans to act in a certain way because they choose to.
Determinism: concept that human actions are inevitable, fixed by external factors.
Causal determination: human actions are caused by physical events.
Predestination: the concept that salvation and damnation is decided externally, by
God.
Divine foreknowledge problem: if God knows what we will do, how can we freely
choose.
Theological determinism: the concept that human actions are fixed, as God wills
them.
Original sin: doctrine that humans are sinful by nature and are in need of
redemption.
Election: belief that certain people are chosen by God for eventual salvation.
Moral responsibility: humans are to be blamed for their moral actions.
B. Augustine: Catholic Bishop and Philosopher of the 4th-5th century, from North Africa.
Major philosophical aims is to define Christian beliefs in such a way as to explain
how humanity can be both inherently sinful and receiving God’s grace.
St Augustine: Doctrine of Original Sin.
C. Original sin is an Augustine Christian doctrine that says that everyone is born sinful.
Means they are born with a built-in urge to disobey God.
o Formalised as part of Roman Catholic doctrine by Councils of Trent in 16th
Century.
An explanation for the evils of the world: so much wrong in a world created by a
perfect God, and why people need to have their souls 'saved' by God.
A condition you're in, not something you do: normal spiritual and psychological
condition of human beings, not their bad thoughts and actions.
The sin of Adam: In traditional Christian teaching, original sin is the result of Adam
and Eve's disobedience to God when they ate a forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
Effects of original sin: affects individuals by separating them from God, and
bringing dissatisfaction and guilt into their lives.
Can only escape damnation through God's grace.
Cure of original sin: by the grace of God (accepting his love and forgiveness,
believing that Jesus Christ die on the cross to redeem their sins, and getting baptised).
o Secular ideas of original sin: Modern thinkers don't think the doctrine of original
sin is literally true, but they do think it contains real truths about the human condition:
E.g. the world is not as good as we want it to be.
o Original sin is part of the Doctrine of the Fall, which is the belief that when Adam
and Eve disobeyed God, they 'fell' from perfection and brought evil into a perfect world.
o Why sin affects everyone: (Augustine's argument)
The whole essence of human nature was contained in Adam, the first man.
When Adam disobeyed God, the whole of human nature disobeyed God.
Thus, the whole of human nature became sinful.
Thus, the whole human race was damaged for all time.
o Tale of two Adams:
The first Adam sins and causes humanity to fall.
The second Adam atones for that sin with his death and redeems humanity.
Theme 4: determinism and Free will – Determinism.
A. Religious Concepts of predestination, with reference to the teachings of St Augustine and
John Calvin.
Introduction;
A. Basic Concepts:
Free will: the capacity of humans to act in a certain way because they choose to.
Determinism: concept that human actions are inevitable, fixed by external factors.
Causal determination: human actions are caused by physical events.
Predestination: the concept that salvation and damnation is decided externally, by
God.
Divine foreknowledge problem: if God knows what we will do, how can we freely
choose.
Theological determinism: the concept that human actions are fixed, as God wills
them.
Original sin: doctrine that humans are sinful by nature and are in need of
redemption.
Election: belief that certain people are chosen by God for eventual salvation.
Moral responsibility: humans are to be blamed for their moral actions.
B. Augustine: Catholic Bishop and Philosopher of the 4th-5th century, from North Africa.
Major philosophical aims is to define Christian beliefs in such a way as to explain
how humanity can be both inherently sinful and receiving God’s grace.
St Augustine: Doctrine of Original Sin.
C. Original sin is an Augustine Christian doctrine that says that everyone is born sinful.
Means they are born with a built-in urge to disobey God.
o Formalised as part of Roman Catholic doctrine by Councils of Trent in 16th
Century.
An explanation for the evils of the world: so much wrong in a world created by a
perfect God, and why people need to have their souls 'saved' by God.
A condition you're in, not something you do: normal spiritual and psychological
condition of human beings, not their bad thoughts and actions.
The sin of Adam: In traditional Christian teaching, original sin is the result of Adam
and Eve's disobedience to God when they ate a forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
Effects of original sin: affects individuals by separating them from God, and
bringing dissatisfaction and guilt into their lives.
Can only escape damnation through God's grace.
Cure of original sin: by the grace of God (accepting his love and forgiveness,
believing that Jesus Christ die on the cross to redeem their sins, and getting baptised).
o Secular ideas of original sin: Modern thinkers don't think the doctrine of original
sin is literally true, but they do think it contains real truths about the human condition:
E.g. the world is not as good as we want it to be.
o Original sin is part of the Doctrine of the Fall, which is the belief that when Adam
and Eve disobeyed God, they 'fell' from perfection and brought evil into a perfect world.
o Why sin affects everyone: (Augustine's argument)
The whole essence of human nature was contained in Adam, the first man.
When Adam disobeyed God, the whole of human nature disobeyed God.
Thus, the whole of human nature became sinful.
Thus, the whole human race was damaged for all time.
o Tale of two Adams:
The first Adam sins and causes humanity to fall.
The second Adam atones for that sin with his death and redeems humanity.
