... reason, believes that man was originally perfect, with true moral autonomy, but also with the freedom to make choices. Irenaeus, instead, propounds that man was created imperfectly, with the form but not the content of God. Irenaeus, in the same way as Augustine, believes that man had perfect morals and the freedom to make choices. However, this freedom to decide, or 'Free Will', is looked upon differently by the two philosophers. Augustine saw it as an inevitable lead to man's fall from grace and perfection, whereas Irenaeus looked upon it a little more positively. Instead, he suggested that man's freedom actually gave him the potential to grow into the likeness of God through responsible choices. Fundamentally, therefore, Augustine viewed the exercise of Free Will as a means of committing sins and its consequences i.e. evil and suffering. Irenaeus, on the other hand, argued that Free Will enables man to make ...

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