The Symbolic World 420 - How Free Will Actually Works
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Nov 6, 2025 Explore the intriguing nature of free will, as insights from St. Maximus the Confessor reveal a shift from the illusion of choice to a deeper understanding of freedom. Discover how true liberty means aligning with higher goods and embracing loving discipline, enhancing joy in family life. Delve into examples like mastering stairs, illustrating how moral development leads to effortless action. Finally, learn how choosing higher goods liberates us from lower constraints, crafting a richer sense of purpose.
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Two Distinct Kinds Of Will
- Jonathan Pageau explains two kinds of will: gnomic (deliberative) and natural (true free will).
- He frames gnomic will as contingent and secondary while natural will is the capacity to move toward the good.
Stairs As A Metaphor For Freedom
- Pageau uses learning to climb stairs as an example of moving from gnomic to natural will.
- As skill becomes internalized you stop deliberating and simply go upstairs effortlessly.
Freedom As Ascending The Moral Pyramid
- Freedom increases as one ascends a moral hierarchy and enters the good, reducing contingent choices.
- Once you embrace the heart of the good you are 'free from the law' because law follows internalized goodness.
