On Free Choice Of The Will

What logical steps does Augustine use to set up his argument that human free will exists? What effect do those steps have as they accumulate?

Consider the dialogue genre. How does Augustine’s interlocutor, Evodius, contribute to the text? What is the effect of discussing free will, God, and good and evil through two voices instead of one?

How does Augustine reconcile the idea of a good God with the reality of human sin, suffering, and death? How does he present the relationship between God and humans?

Discuss the paradoxical role of God in the text. According to Augustine, in what ways is it possible to call God the cause of sin, and in what ways is it impossible to talk about God as the cause of sin?

What is Augustine’s definition of freedom? How does he distinguish between true and false ways of living freely?

How does Augustine describe the human soul? How does his definition of the soul support his argument about free will?

According to Augustine, what is the difference between the freedom of a human being and the freedom of an animal, such as a dog?

In this text, where does human free will come from? Discuss its origins and how those origins affect the way free will operates.