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    If the libertarian theory of free will is correct, an omn... — Carmelics
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    If the libertarian theory of free will is correct, an omnipotent agent (other than Plato) cannot bring about (f), but Plato can.

    Divine Attributes
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.If libertarianism about free will is correct, free actions cannot be brought about by another agent.
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    • 2.Plato, as a non-omnipotent agent, can freely bring it about that (f) obtains.
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Omnipotence may be defined as the power to actualize any possible state of affairs, including those constituted by free actions of others.
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    • 2.On Molinism (Molina, Concordia 1588), God middle-knows counterfactuals of creaturely freedom and actualizes worlds containing free actions without causing them.
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    • 3.If middle knowledge is coherent, an omnipotent agent can bring about free actions by selecting the world where Plato freely performs (f), preserving both omnipotence and libertarian freedom.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.The argument conflates two distinct senses of 'bring about': direct causation and indirect actualization through circumstance-setting.
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    • 2.Libertarian free will requires only that no agent directly determines the free action, not that no agent arranges conditions under which the action is freely performed.
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    • 3.An omnipotent agent who arranges the precise circumstances guaranteeing Plato freely does (f) thereby brings about (f) in the indirect sense, eliminating the claimed asymmetry.
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    Related

    An omnipotent agent who arranges the precise circumstances guaranteeing Plato fr...If libertarianism about free will is correct, free actions cannot be brought abo...If middle knowledge is coherent, an omnipotent agent can bring about free action...Libertarian free will requires only that no agent directly determines the free a...
    +4 moreShow less
    Omnipotence may be defined as the power to actualize any possible state of affai...On Molinism (Molina, Concordia 1588), God middle-knows counterfactuals of creatu...Plato, as a non-omnipotent agent, can freely bring it about that (f) obtains.The argument conflates two distinct senses of 'bring about': direct causation an...

    Similar

    If libertarianism about free will is correct, free actions cannot be b...89%Divine freedom and divine perfect moral goodness cannot be co-realized...80%An omnipotent agent is not required to be able to bring about impossib...78%For the same reason that an omnipotent agent is not required to bring ...78%

    Source

    AI-extracted
    SEP: omnipotence
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    Note that (a) is a past state of affairs. Presumably, it is not possible for an efficient cause to occur later than its effect. However, an agent’s bringing about a state of affairs is a kind of efficient causation. Therefore, it is not possible for an agent to bring about anything that is in the past. In other words, it is impossible for any agent to have power over what is past. Hence, no agent, not even an omnipotent one, can bring it about that (a) obtains. Likewise, despite the fact that (b) can be brought about prior to \(t\), the impossibility of an agent’s having power over what is pas...

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit