The Problem of Weakness of Will in the Philosophy of Leibniz in the Context of Early Modern Indeterministic Freedom Theories

Abstract

The article examines the coherence of Leibnizian conception of the weakness of will in context of early modern radical indeterminist theories of freedom. In the first step Leibniz’ position to the late scholastic molinistic paradigm of freedom (L. Molina) is explained. After that, the seventeenth-century argumentation strategies for indeterminism concerning the possibility of voluntarily performing morally bad actions against all the reasons (J. Bramhall and P.J. Spener) are presented. Finally, in reference to the presented theories the plausibility of Leibniz’ theory of weakness of will and its connection to freedom understood as ability of performing morally bad actions is examined.