Middle knowledge thus forms the foundation of God’s capability in creating the best of all possible worlds. “World,” in the sense it is used here, and for the remainder of this paper, constitutes the complete possible history from creation onwards and encompasses the systematic whole of that particular created order. In choosing what world to create, God knows all the free choices of moral agents and the subsequent effects that would constitute each particular “world.” In each possible world, each person He creates in that world is free to choose from all the possibilities present in that world. Each “world” also includes the prayers of the free agents in that world and God’s providential answers to those prayers. By His middle knowledge, God can survey all the possibilities and select the best world for actualization. What informs Him to make that decision will be addressed subsequently.
What exactly constitutes a “possible world”? As aforementioned, a “world” encompasses all things from the planets and natural order of that created world to the decisions and actions of the created agents that dwell in it from the moment of creation. One must understand “possible worlds” to constitute only those worlds where beings would have the power and freedom of choice. A world with free agents limits the possibilities of worlds that God can create. Such a world with free agents, capable of doing good and evil, involves a multitude of possible scenarios and results. While God is free to chose from among those possible worlds, freely choosing to create a world with libertarian freedom limits His choices as well (e.g. God cannot create a world where man is free to choose on some occasions and not on others. This would render man not a truly free being.) Furthermore, God is bound by the laws of logic. He cannot create a world where ‘A’ and ‘not-A’ both exist at the same time (e.g. He cannot violate the law of non-contradiction.)
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