The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom

This article examines the paradox of freedom in Augustine's philosophy, focusing on the relationship between freedom and the necessity of evil. Beginning with an analysis of the concept of free will and its distinction from libertas, we explore the tension between the human capacity to choose a...

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Autor principal: Scolari, María Paz
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Humanidades. Instituto de Filosofía 2025
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Acceso en línea:https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/ach/article/view/8518
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spelling I48-R154-article-85182025-08-28T15:54:57Z The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom La paradoja de la libertad: análisis de la necesidad del mal en la libertad agustiniana Scolari, María Paz St. Augustine freedom free will problem of evil divine justice San Agustín libertad libre albedrío problema del mal justicia divina This article examines the paradox of freedom in Augustine's philosophy, focusing on the relationship between freedom and the necessity of evil. Beginning with an analysis of the concept of free will and its distinction from libertas, we explore the tension between the human capacity to choose and the inevitability of sin. St. Augustine argues that true freedom can only be achieved by choosing the good, but this choice presupposes the existence of evil as a possibility, thus, we investigate the function of evil within the Augustinian system and its apparent contradiction with the notion of an omnibenevolent God. Central to this is the question of whether the existence of evil is merely an obstacle or whether, paradoxically, it plays a necessary role in the configuration of human freedom. Finally, the argument turns out that, in the Augustinian framework, evil is not an indispensable condition for true freedom, but rather its presence serves as a means of learning and delimitation of what keeps us from fullness. Este artículo examina la paradoja de la libertad en la filosofía de San Agustín, centrándose en la relación entre la libertad y la necesidad del mal. A partir del análisis del concepto de libre albedrío y su distinción con la libertas, exploramos la tensión entre la capacidad humana de elegir y la inevitabilidad del pecado. San Agustín sostiene que la verdadera libertad sólo puede alcanzarse al elegir el bien, pero esta elección presupone la existencia del mal como posibilidad, de tal manera, se indaga en la función del mal dentro del sistema agustiniano y en su aparente contradicción con la noción de un Dios omnibenevolente. Para ello, es central la pregunta acerca de si la existencia del mal es meramente un obstáculo o si, paradójicamente, cumple un rol necesario en la configuración de la libertad humana. Finalmente, el argumento resulta en que, en el marco agustiniano, el mal no es una condición indispensable para la verdadera libertad, sino que su presencia sirve como un medio de aprendizaje y delimitación de lo que nos aleja de la plenitud. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Humanidades. Instituto de Filosofía 2025-08-28 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículo revisado por pares application/pdf https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/ach/article/view/8518 10.30972/ach1020258518 Acheronta; Núm. 10 (2025); 1-13 2344-9934 spa https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/ach/article/view/8518/8143 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
institution Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
institution_str I-48
repository_str R-154
container_title_str Revistas UNNE - Universidad Nacional del Noroeste (UNNE)
language Español
format Artículo revista
topic St. Augustine
freedom
free will
problem of evil
divine justice
San Agustín
libertad
libre albedrío
problema del mal
justicia divina
spellingShingle St. Augustine
freedom
free will
problem of evil
divine justice
San Agustín
libertad
libre albedrío
problema del mal
justicia divina
Scolari, María Paz
The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom
topic_facet St. Augustine
freedom
free will
problem of evil
divine justice
San Agustín
libertad
libre albedrío
problema del mal
justicia divina
author Scolari, María Paz
author_facet Scolari, María Paz
author_sort Scolari, María Paz
title The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom
title_short The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom
title_full The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom
title_fullStr The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom
title_full_unstemmed The Paradox of Freedom: Analysis of the Necessity of Evil in Augustinian Freedom
title_sort paradox of freedom: analysis of the necessity of evil in augustinian freedom
description This article examines the paradox of freedom in Augustine's philosophy, focusing on the relationship between freedom and the necessity of evil. Beginning with an analysis of the concept of free will and its distinction from libertas, we explore the tension between the human capacity to choose and the inevitability of sin. St. Augustine argues that true freedom can only be achieved by choosing the good, but this choice presupposes the existence of evil as a possibility, thus, we investigate the function of evil within the Augustinian system and its apparent contradiction with the notion of an omnibenevolent God. Central to this is the question of whether the existence of evil is merely an obstacle or whether, paradoxically, it plays a necessary role in the configuration of human freedom. Finally, the argument turns out that, in the Augustinian framework, evil is not an indispensable condition for true freedom, but rather its presence serves as a means of learning and delimitation of what keeps us from fullness.
publisher Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Humanidades. Instituto de Filosofía
publishDate 2025
url https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/ach/article/view/8518
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