Comparison and Analysis of the Poems of Nasir Khusraw Qubadiani and the Philosophical Ideas of Leibniz from the Perspective of Theological Methodology

Abstract

In this study, the author seeks to examine and compare the issue of determinism and free will in the works of Nasir Khusraw Qubadiani and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz using a descriptive-analytical method. The problem of determinism and free will is among the oldest and most controversial theoretical topics in philosophy and theology, and poets and thinkers from both Iran and the Western world have held diverse views on this issue. Leibniz, the prominent seventeenth-century German philosopher, believed that the world is governed by divine laws and that every event has a specific cause and effect. He argued that God granted human beings free will so they could make decisions. This perspective reflects a synthesis of determinism and free will, indicating that the world operates with a divine order, while humans remain free in their choices. Similarly, Nasir Khusraw, the fifth-century AH Iranian philosopher and poet, addressed the concept of determinism and free will in his works. He held that the world operates under divine power and will, and all events occur in accordance with divine decree. However, he also referenced human free will, asserting that individuals possess agency and are responsible for their decisions in life. The findings of the research indicate that Nasir Khusraw embraced an integrated perspective on determinism and free will, emphasizing both divine predestination and human volition. In contrast, Leibniz distinguished between absolute necessity and conditional necessity and, through his theory of possible worlds, sought to preserve human free will alongside divine determination.