Human Will as a Human Trait
Editorial verification status: This atom has been extracted from an explanatory audio-visual source, and it has now been linked to the nearest books within the Shahrur project at the book level. For precise academic citation, consult the original book and the original episode together.
Formulation of the Claim
Shahrur says that will is a quality God has assigned to human beings, not to angels nor to the rest of creation. Human volition arises from thinking and abstraction.
Explanation
Shahrur presents will as a fundamental element in defining the human being. Human beings are not limited to biological existence; they also possess the capacity to choose and to incline toward action. This capacity is tied to ideas, that is, to the abstract level of consciousness. Will thus becomes part of the basis of accountability. Accountability has no meaning without the capacity to choose.
Its Place in the Episode’s Argument
This atom connects epistemology with human moral and religious responsibility.
Limits of the Claim
It does not say that human beings create their will out of nothing, but rather that they have a distinctive sphere for will within creation.
Brief Witness
“Only the human being… this feature with which God has endowed the human being.”
Nearby Links
- Shahrur - Freedom
- Shahrur - Faith
- Shahrur - Righteous Deeds