O problema da relação entre o livre-arbítrio humano e a graça/predestinação em Agostinho em diálogo com a Modernidade/Contemporaneidade

Abstract

One of the most complex issues in St. Augustine's philosophical-religious doctrine is that of the relationship between human free will and divine grace / predestination. This problem has its main expression in the controversy with the Pelagians / semi-Pelagians, who, each in their own way, believed that there is an incompatibility between the two terms. They sought to annul one of the poles of the question, arguing that the human being is free. In addition, they state thatoriginal sin in no way damaged human free will, and that, consequently, the latter can achieve perfection / salvation by his own merits, without the help of divine grace. Augustine, on the contrary, says that with original sin the “first nature” of man was damaged. Thus, human beingneeds the help of divine grace to be able to perform good actions (merits), but Augustine claimed, there is no incompatibility there, conversely, for him, what the human being has lost was the full freedom he enjoyed before sin. Now human being has only free will thatgrace will restore, giving him back his full freedom. Likewise, he argues, predestination does not nullify free will, determining man's destiny. Thus, first, man is a being created by God for himself, with no determinants for evil,and, second, as much as damaged he may be, he is keeps something of his first condition, even the tiniest one. Thus, human being is capable of say no to God's call. These questions will reverberate in the philosophical-religious discourses about the problem in Modernity / Contemporaneity, mainly in Protestant circles, which have intertwined themselves, each in their own way, between the so-called incompatibilities and compatibilities. Both seeking to substantiate their positions, often in St. Augustine. Something that he would not always agree with. Here's what we'll look at in this paper.