Major Dynamics of Human Acts in Alfarabi's Philosophy in the Context of the Problem of Freedom

Freedom is one of the most important questions of ethics. One can say that this question has two major dimensions: One is related to the selecting of an act and called “freedom of will” and the other is related to the fulfillment of the act and called “freedom of action.” The problem of freedom has been so far addressed in Islamic intellectual tradition mostly in a theocentric manner, almost totally ignoring the human freedom for the sake of the notion of an absolute power of God. In order to bring a reasonable solution to the question, one should take account of the human being and his freedom. This article attempts at addressing some basic concepts concerning the human being and his actions with a special emphasis on the problem of freedom within the context of al-Farabi’s views, who is one of the leading Muslim philosophers and moralists.