Bocheński on divine providence and human freedom. Łukasiewicz, D. Studies in East European Thought, 65(1/2):53--63, September, 2013.
Bocheński on divine providence and human freedom [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Prior to his ʼnaturalistic turn', Bocheński was a Thomist and defended the Thomist doctrine as a logically consistent and attractive philosophical system. Some opponents of Thomism interpreted this doctrine, Aquinas's conception of divine providence included, as a kind of theological fatalism (or theological determinism) incompatible with human freedom. Bocheński dismissed such interpretations as based on 'a superficial misunderstanding.' I will try to demonstrate that his criticism of deterministic interpretations of Thomism was not quite justified. The article will present, first, Bocheński's account of the Thomist doctrine of divine providence, next, the arguments for theological fatalism leading to the conclusion that there is no freedom if Aquinas's conception of divine nature is assumed. Finally, I will try to show how the dispute between Thomism and its opponents is rooted in some fundamental differences concerning the very concept of human freedom.
@article{ lukasiewicz_bochenski_2013,
  title = {Bocheński on divine providence and human freedom},
  volume = {65},
  issn = {09259392},
  url = {http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=90575082&site=ehost-live},
  doi = {10.1007/s11212-013-9179-5},
  abstract = {Prior to his ʼnaturalistic turn', Bocheński was a Thomist and defended the Thomist doctrine as a logically consistent and attractive philosophical system. Some opponents of Thomism interpreted this doctrine, Aquinas's conception of divine providence included, as a kind of theological fatalism (or theological determinism) incompatible with human freedom. Bocheński dismissed such interpretations as based on 'a superficial misunderstanding.' I will try to demonstrate that his criticism of deterministic interpretations of Thomism was not quite justified. The article will present, first, Bocheński's account of the Thomist doctrine of divine providence, next, the arguments for theological fatalism leading to the conclusion that there is no freedom if Aquinas's conception of divine nature is assumed. Finally, I will try to show how the dispute between Thomism and its opponents is rooted in some fundamental differences concerning the very concept of human freedom.},
  number = {1/2},
  urldate = {2015-09-26TZ},
  journal = {Studies in East European Thought},
  author = {Łukasiewicz, Dariusz},
  month = {September},
  year = {2013},
  keywords = {BOCHENSKI, Jozef Maria, 1902-1995, Bocheński, Boethius, CHRISTIANITY, Compatibilism, DETERMINISM (Philosophy), Determinism, Divine providence, FATE \& fatalism -- Religious aspects, Freedom of human will, LIBERTY, LIBERTY -- Religious aspects -- Christianity, PHILOSOPHY, PROVIDENCE \& government of God, THOMISM, THOMISTS, Theological fatalism, Thomas Aquinas, Zagzebski},
  pages = {53--63}
}

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