Q&A: The Question of Free Choice and Divine Knowledge
The Question of Free Choice and Divine Knowledge
Question
I have an interesting thesis: maybe the Holy One knows how to estimate what a person will choose in the future, taking into account the existing circumstances, and His estimates are 100% correct every time. But He does not know in the sense of absolute prior knowledge that the person will choose a certain thing, and therefore this does not negate the person’s free choice or God’s knowledge… For example: I do not know for certain that tomorrow the stock market will go up, but I estimate it correctly 100% because of the existing circumstances, and in that way I “know” the future, while market investors freely choose where to put their money… That is, the Holy One is so wise that He knows how to estimate what I will do with 100% accuracy, but not on the basis of information that exists somewhere, rather out of divine wisdom. In short: the Holy One knows what a person will choose every time with 100% accuracy out of understanding and wisdom, and not because of information that exists, and in this way He still leaves the person free choice.
What does the Rabbi say about this thesis? (I’m almost sure this is not a correct thesis, because it’s my own novelty and chances are I’m missing something.)
Answer
I do not understand how an estimate can be 100% if there is free choice. This is not at all a question of wisdom or computational ability, because there is no calculation that can make that prediction.
Discussion on Answer
Because free choice is not a reaction. That is the meaning of freedom. If you built a slot machine, would you know every time which number would come out?
Thank you, Rabbi.
One more question: why can’t we assume that God knows what a person will choose because He created him, and the very act of creation indicates that the creator knows all the functions of what he created (even if one of those functions is free choice)? For example, if I manufacture a car, I have to know everything in the car, every reaction of the car to different situations, etc.
Is it possible to say such a thing, or does that idea apply only to a deterministic creation? And does the fact that the creation has a function of free choice rule that out?