Q&A: On Knowledge and Free Choice
On Knowledge and Free Choice
Question
Regarding the book The Science of Freedom–
In the book, the Rabbi presents an approach according to which God does not know the future, if I understood the Rabbi there correctly.
Did I understand correctly? And if so, is this the Rabbi’s own approach, or is there support for such an earlier view in Judaism? Not that it matters to the argument itself, but just out of curiosity.
Answer
I do indeed think so, because knowing the future when it depends on free choice is like a square circle. Quite a few medieval authorities wrote that it is impossible to believe in contradictions, not even with regard to God (I think I referred there to Maimonides and Rashba). Specifically regarding knowledge and free choice, there is the Shelah who wrote this, and I think that this is what underlies the words of Or HaChaim on chapter 6 of Genesis (that the Holy One, blessed be He, conceals the future from Himself). As far as I remember, I brought and explained all of this there.
But indeed, it doesn’t really matter. If it is a contradiction in my view, then it is not really important whether someone preceded me in this.