Erasmus begins his thesis admitting that among the many difficulties in theology, none is a more "tangled labyrinth" than that of free choice. Not only does he set forth his own views in his work, but he admits also that there have been varying ideas on the issue since the early days of the Christian church.
The heart of the controversy is the doctrine of free will. He shows that this is indeed the precise controversy by titling his thesis The Freedom of the Will. To this doctrine of the will, he aims to speak.