On Free Choice of the Will, by Augustine

The title of this book is somewhat misleading, as it does not address the issue of free will in the sense of free will versus predestination. Rather, it is about the way in which human beings will to sin and therefore render themselves worthy of punishment. It is a dialogue which begins with the question "Please tell me: isn't God the cause of all evil?" asked of Augustine by his companion Evodius. They determine that the will is a good that is given by God, that is misused in the doing of evil. Therefore God is not the cause of evil, but the cause of the will. The entire point of the book, then, is that God is the source of all that which is good, and of nothing that is truly evil. It was written against the Manichees, a sect Augustine was quite opposed to and used to belong to, and Augustine later directed it against the Pelagians, after they arose and tried to use it to support their views.

There are several other good points in the book, such as the distinction between those things possessing existence, possessing life, and possessing reason, which is a helpful and neat classification. Perhaps the best point outside of the main theme is the description of the way in which those things which are unchanging are preferable to those which are mutable for procuring happiness. This leads to the conclusion that dependency on material objects for happiness when we may depend on God is incorrect and foolish, something that is seldom, if ever, brought up in our comfortable heavily industrialized society.

As a side note, Rachel, I recall that your brother was intending to do some philosophy reading, this would be a good book for him to take a look at, in my opinion.