Obstacles that Freedom faces according to the Doctrine of Gregory of Nyssa
Abstract
For Gregory, man is essentially defined as a “free being”. We find this affirmation since his first work, De virginitate, where he affirms that man, as an image and likeness of God, possesses “the sovereign freedom of choice” (tò autexoúsion tês proairéseos). Gregory maintains that man is truly free only when he is the owner and cause of his acts, that is, when he possesses full capacity for self-determination. And, he argues, there are, however, a series of obstacles that prevent him from freely choosing and “being able to reach the truly desirable object” (tó óntos epithymetón). Thus, we will analyze the obstacles to which Gregory refers and the mode of solution. These obstacles can be classified into two large groups: internal and external.Downloads
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