Abstract

A perfect cause necessitates the existence of an effect, and such a causal determinism provides the grounds for the development of a definite and stable system which, according to a number of thinkers, leaves no place for will. However, Islamic philosophers believe that there is no contradiction between these two issues and one can both accept the causal necessity and conceive of man's acts as being voluntary and optional. This is because the free will is the last component of the perfect cause of voluntary acts; therefore, the apparent inconsistency between the "causal determinism" and "voluntary acts" can be easily removed. Nevertheless, the contradiction between "causal defemininsm" and the "free will" can not be as easily obviated, since if another will is the last component of the perfect cause of the will, the succession of wills will be necessary. Accordingly, philosophers such as Farabi, Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra believe that man's will is the effect of causes and concommitants outside his will and, in fact, will is imposed on man from the outside. However, this theory is not acceptable, since it leads to nothing but determinism.Imam Khomeini obviates the contradiction between "causal determinism" and the "free will" by arguing that although will is not the effect of another will, it is free and voluntary. This is because in order for an act to be free, it does not have to be the effect of will, and there are different kinds of free agents which have no will in addition to their essence.