Dictionary of Phrase and Fable—A

Agent

Is man a free agent?

This is a question of theology, which has long been mooted. The point is this: If God fore-ordains all our actions, they must take place as he fore-ordains them, and man acts as a watch or clock; but if, on the other hand, man is responsible for his actions, he must be free to act as his inclination leads him. Those who hold the former view are called necessitarians; those who hold the latter, libertarians.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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