A Study Of Baumgarten’s Freedom Thought

Freedom is the eternal topic of mankind.As an important member of Leibniz-Wolff school,Baumgarten also made an important discussion on freedom in Metaphysics.Baumgarten lived in an era of fierce confrontation between rationalism and pietism,which was also reflected in different concepts of freedom at that time,such as the voluntarism view of freedom represented by Descartes,the absolute necessity view of freedom represented by Spinoza,and the compatibilism view of freedom represented by Leibniz.However,whatever view of freedom at that time involved necessity and chance,causal correlation and the relationship between man and God,which was especially reflected in the rationalist view of freedom to which Baumgarten belonged.Rationalist view of freedom recognizes and emphasizes more the desire and will of human beings in freedom.Therefore,this paper is divided into four parts: the first part introduces the theoretical background of Baumgarten’s free thought.In his early years,Baumgarten was influenced by the piety represented by August Hermann Francke,which emphasized people’s belief and individual experience.However,due to the devaluing of reason by devotionalism and the nonfree state of human beings that may result from it(fatalism),Baumgarten later turned to rationalism with liberation orientation.The second part discusses the conditions for the establishment of freedom from a metaphysical point of view,and thus explores the specific connotation and stipulation of Baumgarton’s concept of freedom from the three aspects of necessity,contingency and causal correlation.At the same time,as a special causal association,the purpose constitutes the key of Baumgarton’s concept of freedom,so it is also the focus of this chapter.The third part mainly expounds the spiritual basis of realizing freedom.According to Baumgarten,it is the desire ability in the broadest sense that forms the basis of human freedom,but only the spontaneous and rational higher desire can bring the real freedom,while the low or emotional desire ability only brings animal-like instinct or desire.The fourth part is the summary and evaluation of Baumgarten’s free thought.The progress of Baumgarton’s liberal thought lies in his careful analysis of the psychic capacity,emphasis on the role of the will and a certain degree of refinement of rationalism and piety.However,his view of freedom did not break through the framework and constraint of theology,so it still has the suspicion of fatalism.Such freedom,fundamentally speaking,is still some kind of other determinism,rather than the self-determination of rational subject.