Metaphysical Investigations

fa Rational Solutions to the Incompatibility between God's Absolute Knowledge and Human Free Will: A Critical Survey Rational Solutions to the Incompatibility between God's Absolute Knowledge and Human Free Will: A Critical Survey فلسفی Philosophy مقاله پژوهشی Original Article When the attribute of absoluteness is ascribed to various divine attributes, especially God's mercy and knowledge, it presents the meaning and concept of divine attributes with various philosophical and theological difficulties. This difficulty is further accentuated when considering the relationship between God's absolute attributes and certain human attributes, particularly free will. Throughout the history of Islamic and Christian theology, thinkers have offered numerous analyses and solutions in response to this theological-philosophical challenge. These solutions can be broadly categorized as rational or faith-based, with the former relying on rational arguments and the latter based on revealed teachings in sacred texts. In this study, we will attempt to trace the most important rational solutions in Islamic and Christian theology and, by placing them within a framework of ten solutions, critically evaluate their level of rational robustness. Some of these rational solutions have proponents in both Islamic and Christian theology, while others have been proposed only within one of these two approaches. Among the most prominent of these solutions are the following theories: the dependence of knowledge on the known, God's timelessness, the impossibility of God's actions being deterministic, possible worlds, and likening God's knowledge to that of a close friend.   When the attribute of absoluteness is ascribed to various divine attributes, especially God's mercy and knowledge, it presents the meaning and concept of divine attributes with various philosophical and theological difficulties. This difficulty is further accentuated when considering the relationship between God's absolute attributes and certain human attributes, particularly free will. Throughout the history of Islamic and Christian theology, thinkers have offered numerous analyses and solutions in response to this theological-philosophical challenge. These solutions can be broadly categorized as rational or faith-based, with the former relying on rational arguments and the latter based on revealed teachings in sacred texts. In this study, we will attempt to trace the most important rational solutions in Islamic and Christian theology and, by placing them within a framework of ten solutions, critically evaluate their level of rational robustness. Some of these rational solutions have proponents in both Islamic and Christian theology, while others have been proposed only within one of these two approaches. Among the most prominent of these solutions are the following theories: the dependence of knowledge on the known, God's timelessness, the impossibility of God's actions being deterministic, possible worlds, and likening God's knowledge to that of a close friend.   Absolute Knowledge, Free Will, Theology, Reason, Faith Absolute Knowledge, Free Will, Theology, Reason, Faith 0 0 http://mi.khu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-227-1&slc_lang=fa&sid=1 Hasan Ahmadizade Hasan Ahmadizade ahmadizade@kashanu.ac.ir 10031947532846002370 10031947532846002370 Yes University of Kashan دانشگاه کاشان