Rational Solutions to the Incompatibility between God's Absolute Knowledge and Human Free Will: A Critical Survey

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Hasan Ahmadizade
University of Kashan
10.22034/mi.2026.11101
Abstract
When the attribute of absoluteness is ascribed to various divine attributes, especially God’s mercy and knowledge, it gives rise to significant philosophical and theological challenges. These difficulties become even more pronounced 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 proposed numerous analyses and solutions in response to this theological–philosophical problem. Broadly speaking, these solutions can be divided into two categories: rational and faith-based. The former rely on philosophical reasoning, while the latter are grounded in revealed teachings found in sacred texts.
In this study, we attempt to trace the most important rational solutions in both Islamic and Christian traditions and to classify them within a framework of ten approaches. We then critically evaluate their degree of rational adequacy. Some of these solutions have proponents in both traditions, while others are specific to only one. Among the most prominent are the following: the dependence of knowledge on the known, the timelessness of God, the rejection of determinism in divine action, the theory of possible worlds, and the analogy between divine knowledge and the knowledge of a close friend.
Keywords
Absolute Knowledge
Free Will
Theology
Reason
Faith
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