Keywords

classical theism; afterlife; free will; desirability; personal identity; Heaven

Abstract

My thesis explores aspects of the self in the context of a classical theistic Heaven: a perfect place with perfect persons. The relevant philosophical literature raises issues on free will, personal identity, and the desirability of Heaven. Will there be free will in Heaven? If yes, inhabitants of Heaven can introduce evil to it. This conflicts with theists' assumption that Heaven is perfect. If there is no free will in Heaven, then God could have created a world in which there is good without evil by omitting free will. In this case, God allows unnecessary suffering on Earth, which nullifies the free will defense against the problem of evil. I offer a solution to this dilemma that allows for free will in heaven but denies that heavenly freedom entails evil. The second question concerns personal identity. Nobody dies morally perfect; thus, a drastic character change is required to preserve Heaven’s perfection. I explore and offer solutions to the question, "How can a morally perfect heavenly person be identical to me?" Finally, I defend Heaven's desirability against charges of boredom and loss of self. It is this desire to live a heavenly life that motivates one’s will to transform their moral character, resulting in a morally perfect, free heavenly self. These solutions have significant implications on theist conceptions of heaven itself and what it means to inhabit it.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Barker, Jonathan

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

Philosophy

Thesis Discipline

Philosophy

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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