Motus animi voluntarius. The Ciceronian Epicurus from libertarian free will to free choice

Autore: Maso, stefano
Titolo: Motus animi voluntarius. The Ciceronian Epicurus from libertarian free will to free choice
Rivista/Miscellanea: In : P. Destrée, R. Salles & M. Zingano, What is Up to Us? Studies on Agency and Responsibility in Ancient Philosophy
Anno edizione: 2014
Pagine: 235-250
Parole chiave: Philosophie - Filosofia - Philosophy, Sources - Fonti - Sources
Descrizione: Although the Epicurean thesis concerning indeterminism and ‘free will’ is well known, there are many problems connected to its interpretation. How does Cicero interpret the thesis? He clearly measures himself against the Epicurean doctrine in order to support his own thesis on ‘free will’ and ‘free choice’. According to Cicero, in order for an action to be free, it must be in nostra potestate (= ‘up to us’); but is it correct to connect this notion to the motus animi voluntarius introduced in De fato, which unequivocally refers to the Epicurean doctrine? This question is crucial to understanding Cicero’s reading of the Epicurean thesis (and then that of Epicurus himself). In any case, according to the texts available, if it was not Epicurus, it was Cicero who first – and, paradoxically, with a manifest anti-Epicurean aim – identified the problem of freedom with that of free choice [Author]
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Sigla autore: maso 2014