An Examination of President Edwards' Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will

"An Examination of President Edwards' Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will" by Albert Taylor Bledsoe is a philosophical examination from the 1800s. The book looks closely at Jonathan Edwards' thoughts on moral necessity and free will, investigating the basics and results of these ideas. Bledsoe's goal is to challenge Edwards' claims about how choices, reasons, and moral responsibility connect, pushing for a more complex view of free will that goes against the idea of determinism. The start of the book shows Bledsoe's method of fairly judging Edwards' "Inquiry," focusing on his desire to find the truth about the will. He points out the main question of Edwards' work—what controls the will—and explains the meanings of important words like "volition" and "motive." Bledsoe argues against the idea that reasons are simply causes for choices and that this view causes logical problems, like an endless chain of causes. He also plans to separate the ideas of moral necessity and freedom, suggesting that deeply studying awareness and the mind's role is key to understanding human responsibility.