Arthur Prior's Early Thoughts on Predestination

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Abstract

In 1931 the then 16-year old Arthur Prior wrote a booklet, Essays Religious, which is mainly a discussion of the conceptual and logical analysis of the relation between the doctrines of divine foreknowledge and human freedom. Prior found great inspiration in the works of Jonathan Edwards who had argued that if God has complete foreknowledge there is no human freedom. All his life, Prior defended Edwards’ claim that at least one of the two doctrines (divine foreknowledge and human freedom) has to go. In 1931 he argued that predestination holds and that the claim of free will has to be rejected. Later on he rejected the doctrine of divine foreknowledge and claimed that the there is human freedom.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThree Little Essays : Arthur Prior in 1931
EditorsDavid Jakobsen, Peter Øhrstrøm, Martin Prior, Adriane Rini
Number of pages16
Place of PublicationAalborg
PublisherAalborg Universitetsforlag
Publication date2020
Edition1
Pages55-71
ISBN (Electronic)978-87-7210-308-2
Publication statusPublished - 2020
SeriesLogic and Philosophy of Time
Volume3
ISSN2596-4372

Keywords

  • A.N. Prior
  • Jonathan Edwards
  • John Wesley
  • Predestination
  • Calvinism
  • Arminianism

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