“Edwards Saw More Perspicaciously”: R. L. Dabney’s Edwardsean Philosophy of Free-Agency
Keywords:
Philosophy, Early Modern History, American Religious HistoryAbstract
Robert Lewis Dabney was vocally opposed to several aspects of Jonathan Edwards’ thinking. Dabney’s opposition was motivated by both theological and socio-political reasons. In spite of this opposition, Dabney’s attitude towards Edwards’ philosophy of free-agency was characterized by a positive appropriation of the New Englander’s insights on the issue. The first goal of this essay is to highlight the Edwardseanism of Dabney’s philosophy of free-agency by showing the agreement that exists between Dabney and Edwards on the key concepts of the philosophical problem in question. Secondly, the comparative analysis will, in turn, show Edwards’ positive influence upon a representative nineteenth-century southern Presbyterian theologian such as Dabney who, in many other occasions, was very critical of the New Englander.