A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will
1839
A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will
1839
This is a rigorous 1839 critique of one of American philosophy's most influential thinkers. Henry Philip Tappan takes on Jonathan Edwards's landmark "Freedom of the Will" (1754), in which the great theologian argued that human will is not free but determined by prior inclinations and desires. Tappan systematically reconstructs Edwards's system, traces its logical consequences, and mounts a careful counterargument that emphasizes the psychological dimensions of volition. He urges readers to consider the will not merely as a theological abstraction but as a real faculty amenable to philosophical analysis. The result is a fascinating window into early American intellectual life: a young nation working through the deepest questions of human freedom and moral responsibility. For anyone curious about the roots of American philosophy, or the enduring debate between free will and determinism, Tappan's review offers both historical insight and genuine argumentative substance.
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Tappan, Henry Philip. A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will. Lex, lex-books.com/book/a-review-of-edwards-s-inquiry-into-the-freedom-of-the-will-4fcae750-6758-40c9-8b61-ec97f0978414.Tappan, H. P. (1839). A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/a-review-of-edwards-s-inquiry-into-the-freedom-of-the-will-4fcae750-6758-40c9-8b61-ec97f0978414Tappan, Henry Philip. A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/a-review-of-edwards-s-inquiry-into-the-freedom-of-the-will-4fcae750-6758-40c9-8b61-ec97f0978414.
