Molinism The Contemporary Debate [Hardcover]

Molinism, named after the sixteenth-century Spanish Jesuit Luis de Molina, re-emerged in the 1970s after it was unwittingly assumed in versions of Alvin Plantinga's Free Will Defense against the Logical Argument from Evil. The Molinist notion of middle knowledge--and especially its main objects, so-calledcounterfactuals of (creaturely) freedom--have been the subject of vigorous debate in analytical philosophy of religion ever since. Is middle knowledge logically coherent? Is it a benefit or a liability overall for a satisfying account of divine providence? The essays in this collection examine the status, defensibility, and application of Molinism. Friends and foes of Molinism are well represented, and there are some lively exchanges between them. The collection provides a snap-shot of the current state of the Molinism Wars, along with some discussion of where we've been and where we might go in the future. More battles surely lie ahead; the essays and ideas in this collection are likely to have a major impact on future directions. The essays are specially written by a line-up of established and respected philosophers of religion, metaphysicians, and logicians. There is a substantive Introduction and an extensive Bibliography to assist both students and professionals.

Introduction,Ken Perszyk
1. The (Non-)Existence of Molinist Counterfactuals,William Hasker
2. Whence and Whither the Molinist Debate: A Reply to Hasker,Thomas P. Flint
3. Truth and Molinism,Trenton Merricks
4. Trenton Merricks on Some Anti-Molinist Arguments,William Hasker
5. Pro Haskeris Contradictio,Dean Zimmerman
6. Replies to Hasker and Zimmerman,Trenton Merricks
7. Molinist Conditionals,Edwin Mares and Ken Perszyk
8. Tilting at Molinism,Edward Wierenga
9. A Precis of 'Yet Another Anti-Molinist Argument',Dean Zimmerman
10. Yet Another Failed Anti-Molinist Argument,lS$