Date of Graduation
8-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Philosophy (MA)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Philosophy
Advisor/Mentor
Senor Thomas
Committee Member
Lynne Spellman
Second Committee Member
Eric Funkhouser
Keywords
Aquinas, Free Will, Philosophy
Abstract
The contemporary free will debate is largely split into two camps, libertarianism and compatibilism. It is commonly assumed that if one is to affirm the existence of free will then she will find herself in one of these respective camps. Although merits can be found in each respective position, I find that neither account sufficiently for free will. This thesis, therefore, puts the view of Thomas Aquinas in dialogue with the contemporary debate and argues that his view cannot be capture by either libertarianism or compatibilism and that his view offers a promising alternative view that garners some of the strengths from both contemporary positions without taking on their respective shortcomings.
Citation
Gallagher, K. (2014). Can Libertarianism or Compatibilism Capture Aquinas' View on the Will?. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2229