Programme
Martyna Koszkało
University of Gdansk
Synchronic Contingency and the Problem of Predestination. John Duns Scotus' View
The problem of predestination is closely related to the problem whether God’s foreknowledge predetermines future contingent events, including in that number future meritorious (and demeritorious) actions made by human beings. Thus the problems concerning predestination are intimately linked to the problem of how God knows the future contingents. Scotus tries to reconcile the immutability of divine knowledge and freedom of created persons by applying the concept of synchronic contingency, which allows him to justify that the knowledge of God is certain and unchanging, but contingent, and thus events (including the acts of will of created persons) are unnecessary and free. This allows Scotus to avoid fatalism.