The relationship between human will and causality and divine knowledge; A new explanation of the issue of discretion

Document Type : Original Research

Author
Faculty of Culture and Social Sciences and Behavioral Sciences/ University of Baqer al-ulum/ Qom/ Iran
10.30497/prr.2026.248062.2001
Abstract
The common solution in Islamic philosophy for the issue of free will is one of those solutions that, while accepting the generality of causal necessity and divine eternal knowledge, find a basis for will. But in this solution, "the best system" is reduced to "the only possible system" and it is as if the knowledge and wisdom of God are confused, and the hand of God's power is closed. In addition, in this model, the explanation of will in humans is not seriously different from the explanation of will in animals.
In this article, with the method of philosophical analysis and by accepting reality for possible worlds, and opening a space for accepting preference based on priority instead of necessity, a different plan of the best system is presented, which human agency should be explained in such a way that while accepting causal necessity within each of the possible worlds, and negating its inclusion for the special will of man, the existence of different options in front of man, and the possibility of choosing between them.
This new explanation of the issue of discretion, in addition, has the ability to solve some problems such as the problem of Bada'.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 June 2026