We now need to discuss the issue of free will. The most crucial question we need to answer is whether the power of choice resides with the human will or the human intellect. Many philosophers have taught that since humans naturally desire “the good,” their will must be “good” too. But that is not necessarily the case. Just because someone may have an instinct toward “the good” does not mean their will is naturally good. There usually must contain some aspect of thinking things through. 

Some philosophers will even admit that free will cannot exist unless the human intellect considers the options. They argue that the thing a person wants must occur with some forethought. In order to make a choice, we need to know what the options are! But if you carefully examine some of our “natural desires,” you’ll find that even animals have similar desires, such as wanting to protect themselves or survive. In these instances of “instinct,” however, human beings are using their human reason to follow “the good.” They don’t allow reason to influence their thinking or intellect. Instead, they follow their instincts like the animals do. 

The issue of free will, then, has nothing to do with the fact that people can desire “the good” through their natural instincts. Instead, a better way of framing the question is like this: “Do people, after figuring out with their mind what is good, choose to do what they know to do?” In the discussion about free will, people are often misled by two things. First, just because someone follows their instinct to good, doesn’t mean they are exercising their will. Some things are instinctual and almost automatic for people. Second, just because someone is choosing what is “good” doesn’t necessarily mean it is a virtue. Most of the time people pursue their own personal comfort. 

Even if people do desire actual good, they do not follow through and do it. All people would be happy with eternal blessings from God. But without the work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, people do not seek it. A person’s “natural” desire to be happy does not prove free will. They’re just following their nature, just like other objects like metals or stones fulfill their nature. Instead, we need to examine whether the human will is so corrupted that it produces nothing but evil, or if some part of it is unstained by sin and can produce good desires. 

“Blogging the Institutes” is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin’s work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List.