Editing Predestination (section)

=== Middle knowledge ===
[[Middle knowledge]] is a concept that was developed by [[Jesuit]] theologian [[Luis de Molina]], and exists under a doctrine called [[Molinism]]. It attempts to deal with the topic of predestination by reconciling God's sovereign providence with the notion of [[libertarian free will]]. The concept of Middle Knowledge holds that God has a knowledge of true pre-volitional [[counterfactuals]] for all free creatures. That is, what any individual creature with a free will (e.g. a human) would do under any given circumstance. God's knowledge of counterfactuals is reasoned to occur logically prior to his divine creative decree (that is, prior to creation), and after his knowledge of [[Logical truth|necessary truths]]. Thus, Middle Knowledge holds that before the world was created, God knew what every existing creature capable of libertarian freedom (e.g. every individual human) would freely choose to do in all possible circumstances. It then holds that based on this information, God elected from a number of these [[possible world]]s, the world most consistent with his ultimate will, which is the actual world that we live in.

For example:
* if Free Creature A was to be placed in Circumstance B, God via his Middle Knowledge would know that Free Creature A will freely choose option Y over option Z.
* if Free Creature A was to be placed in Circumstance C, God via his Middle Knowledge would know that Free Creature A will freely choose option Z over option Y.

Based on this Middle Knowledge, God has the ability to actualise the world in which A is placed in a circumstance that he freely chooses to do what is consistent with Gods ultimate will. If God determined that the world most suited to his purposes is a world in which A would freely choose Y instead of Z, God can actualise a world in which Free Creature A finds himself in Circumstance B.

In this way, Middle Knowledge is thought of by its proponents to be consistent with any theological doctrines that assert God as having divine providence and man having a libertarian freedom (e.g. Calvinism, Catholicism, Lutheranism), and to offer a potential solution to the concerns that God's providence somehow nullifies man from having true liberty in his choices.