Prescienza, libertà e provvidenza = Foreknowledge, Freedom and Providence

Abstract

In this paper, we deal with the relationships among libertarian human freedom, divine omniscience and providence. Several models try to reconcile human freedom and divine prescience. However, we show that most of these models are defective in accounting for the providential aspect of the divine action. Moreover, the models that hypothesize a meticulous providence tend to restrict human freedom. We show that the Molinist solution can account for both divine prescience and providence without harming human freedom. However, Molinists can do so only on the basis of very expensive metaphysical assumptions.