Libero o servo arbitrio? Erasmo e Lutero

The essay connects the dispute between Erasmus and Luther over free will to the modern paradigm of freedom. A paradigm that has a paradoxical nature: freedom is contrary to human nature, is made possible only by grace, or by artifice, or, with an extreme paradox, by coercion. Erasmus and Luther are among the first founders of this paradigm, playing a still unrecognized role. Neither is an advocate of political freedom, but both place substantial limits on authority, depriving it of essential aspects of human destiny. By demoting authority from value to function, they open up horizons of thought which will then allow for more specifically political perspectives on freedom.