The Will According to Edwards and Girardeau: Doctrine of the Will

Girardeau seeks to vindicate Calvinism from a supposed dangerous philosophical school known as Necessitarianism. Determinism is used as a synonym for Necessitarianism. Although the critique of Edwards’ understanding of the will, known as Necessitarianism by Girardeau, is detailed, acute, presented with logical precision and lengthy, it appears that Girardeau has a deeper fear of the work of Edwards. This is detected when Girardeau states the determining necessity of nature must be either a necessity of co-action (or force) and it is in the use of the word force that we find Girardeau’s fundamental argument against necessity. The word force is the vulgar term for the more philosophical and theological word fatalism. Girardeau pronounces his disdain against fatalism.