Free will - Asharites Flashcards
What is original power?
God creates the power in humans to carry out acts - it is the power of God e.g. we are given the power to steal or not to steal but God does not coerce humans to carry out these acts, so we are given the choice by God to steal or to choose not to steal.
What is derived power?
Power given to man by God so that he can share in the production of the act - the power to make a free choice.
What happens with bad acts?
God creates acts which are thought of as sinful but humans choose to carry out these acts with an intention and so they must take full responsibility for having chosen them in the first instant.
How is God all powerful?
He creates and completes evil and good acts in accordance with human intention and he gives us the power to do acts and to intentionally choose whether to do them or not.
What does derived power show about God?
He is omnipotent because he gives humans derived power to share in the production of an act.
How is Allah a Just God?
Humans have moral responsibility and can be judged on their deeds by God. This shows Allah is a Just God who takes into account intentional acts and human responsibility for our actions/deeds.
How is God omnibenevolent?
He has given humans free will and does not compel us to act in certain ways
How is God not omnibenevolent or Just?
If God creates evil acts then God is not all loving or Just. God in his divine wisdom and compassion could choose not to create acts and only choose to create good acts.
How is God not omnipotent?
Because he does not intervene to stop humans choosing evil acts even though he knows in advance the destruction these can cause and the suffering. Allah cannot intervene or change our intentional acts either which would indicate that Allah is not all powerful.
How is Allah not fully omniscient?
Because He cannot know out intentional acts/deeds and only knows after the deed is intended.
How do Al-Ash’ari’s view change in later life?
His view later in life was determinism
For Al-Ashari what has God determined? (Later life view)
Had determined all things including human actions.
What was Al Ashari’s later view of human action?
Humans do not really act, they do not make intentional choices. Just as we might say only metaphorically “a tree moves”, “the sun rises” so we can say the same of human actions - there is no intentional choice behind the act.
Explain Al-Ash’ari’s example of the pen.
If I say “the pen moves” there is no intentional choice behind my action of the hand and pen moving - it has been determined by Allah.
In later life, what did Al-Ashari believe Allah created?
Acts as well as their effects
In late life, what did Al-Ashari say about going against the will of Allah?
Nothing can change what is already written for someone so their actions are futile
How is God absolutely just in Al-Ashari’s later view?
Good and evil are determined by God. We as humans know Good and Evil because of the revelations from God and this shows the justice of Allah and not through the use of human reason.
What role does God play in justice in Al Ashari’s later view?
God makes the rules and whatever God declares is just. If God wanted to he could punish the righteous and bring the wicked to paradise.
In Al Ashari’s later view, how is God omnipotent?
God creates good and allows evil in order to test mankind. If an act is declared evil then this is because God has declared it to be evil and not because it is devoid of good. To claim humans have free will is to limit God’s power and sovereignty so God is omnipotent.
