The Relationship of Divine Knowledge and Human Freedoom
Abstract
Divine knowledge that is, absolute and unchanging, also covers human acts, which is assumed that all the actions performed by humans in the future are eternally known by God. Since God’s attributes are perfect just like his essence, something to be outside His knowledge, limiting God’s knowledge or something being uncertain from His point of view cannot be considered. Since as such situation would lead to the thought regarding deficiency in God’s knowledge, it shall contradict with God’s perfect being in every way. However, defending simultaneously that God knows everything eternally, absolutely and immutably, and human beings having free will, creates some philosophical and theological issues. These problems are whether the knowledge of God abolishes human freedom or not, and if it does so, how the punishment and rewarding of people for their actions accord with the justice of God.
Relationship with between divine knowledge and human
freedom, there are generally three approaches: determinism, indeterminism and
eclecticism. The determinism states that God’s knowledge is eternal and since
everything happens in compliance with God’s knowledge, there cannot be human
freedom. The indeterminism says that God does not know what is happening in the
world or that his knowledge does not expand to future so it does not constitute
an impediment against human freedom. According to eclecticism, God’s knowledge
is eternal, however his knowledge has no effect on objects as the
representation is in the form of information; thus human ise freedom. In terms
of knowing the ‘eternal present’ indicates that for God, everything only
consists of now, the present, that is, all actions and events are known to
happen at the same time.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
Turkish
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
December 19, 2016
Submission Date
October 18, 2016
Acceptance Date
December 17, 2016
Published in Issue
Year 2016 Volume: 19 Number: 50 (19-12-2016)