In the Beginning There Was Freedom: An Itinerary Between Science, Philosophy, and Faith

Literary Nonfiction. Philosophy. Sociology. Political Science. Translated by Thomas Haskell Simpson. A philosophical investigation into freedom as reality's point of origin, the metaphysical quality of being. The main thesis of this essay is anchored in a re-evaluation of Luigi Pareyson's reflections on the ontology of freedom. To the Italian philosopher are dedicated the first and fourth chapter, the latter focusing on his ideas on the genesis of evil. The second and third chapter use current scientific knowledge to retrace the presence of freedom at the birth of the universe and during its evolution (chapter 2), as well as in the world of biology (chapter 3). The sixth and final chapter, through an analysis of episodes taken from the Pentateuch (Moses, Abraham, Eden), reconstructs the idea of freedom as it emerges from the Bible.