History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 198 - Grace Notes - Eriugena and the Predestination Controversy
Nov 16, 2014
Exploring the debate on free will and divine grace in medieval philosophy, including the controversial doctrine of double predestination and John Scotus Eriugena's critique of it.
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Augustine's Grace Creates a Moral Puzzle
- Augustine held that humans need divine grace to be good because original sin leaves us corrupt.
- This creates a tension between divine grace and human responsibility that shaped medieval debates.
Gottschalk's Double Predestination
- Gottschalk proposed double predestination: God decided before birth who will be saved and who condemned.
- He framed this as a straightforward implication of strict Augustinian theology.
Political Intervention Ends The Debate—Briefly
- Critics feared double predestination would remove moral motivation and encourage sin.
- Secular power intervened: Charles the Bald imprisoned Gottschalk and burned his writings.