Columbia Encyclopedia

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free will

(Encyclopedia)free will, in philosophy, the doctrine that an individual, regardless of forces external to him, can and does choose at least some of his actions. The existence of free will is challenged by determini...

free enterprise system

(Encyclopedia)free enterprise system: see capitalism. ...

Free-Soil party

(Encyclopedia)Free-Soil party, in U.S. history, political party that came into existence in 1847–48 chiefly because of rising opposition to the extension of slavery into any of the territories newly acquired from...

Gibbs free energy

(Encyclopedia)Gibbs free energy: see free energy. ...

Irish Free State

(Encyclopedia)Irish Free State: see Ireland; Ireland, Republic of. ...

Radio Free Europe

(Encyclopedia)Radio Free Europe (RFE), broadcasting organization established in 1950 with the stated mission of promoting democratic values and institutions. Its original purpose was to broadcast news to countries ...

Orange Free State

(Encyclopedia)Orange Free State, former province, South Africa: see Free State. ...

Free Church of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)Free Church of Scotland: see Scotland, Free Church of. ...

European Free Trade Association

(Encyclopedia)European Free Trade Association (EFTA), customs union and trading bloc; its current members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. EFTA was established in 1960 by Austria, Denmark, Great...

Scotland, Free Church of

(Encyclopedia)Scotland, Free Church of, the secessionist Presbyterian church established as a result of the great disruption of 1843 in the Church of Scotland. The cause of the separation lay in the demand of the l...