Does Gods Existence Nessitate Our Universe? (Catholics & Thomists Only Please)

[itinerant1]

I presented a problem. I never said that God was not free.

I do not take your argument to imply that God is not free. For God to will freely and to will of necessity are both acts of free will. (Necessity is not used here in any kind of deterministic sense).

The distinction I made at the outset is between what God will’s necessarily and what he wills freely. When I say God wills “A” of necessity, it does not detract from God’s freedom. If I say your argument implies that God also wills “B” of necessity, I am not saying that this detracts, either, from God’s freedom. But I think it is from this latter situation in which you believe I am taking you to be claiming “that God was not free.” This is not an accurate interpretation of my meaning.

To say that God wills “A” of necessity, is merely to say that God has will. It would not be will if it is not free. What the proposition asserts is that there is only one thing God wills of necessity, i.e. his own goodness. To state the same proposition in a redundant, yet awkward manner, would be to say that the only thing God wills both freely and of necessity is his own goodness.

All other things God wills, he wills freely but not of necessity. That is, God wills “B” and “C” and so on, freely but not of necessity. In view of the divine simplicity, and the difference between human and the divine will, those things God wills freely and not of necessity are willed from all eternity because they are willed in the same act of will in which God wills his own goodness freely and of necessity.

Hence, the conclusion is supported in this complex statement that says God wills creation, and from all eternity, freely, but not of necessity, so that it could have been the case that the creator did not create anything whatsoever. God is incapable of freely willing creation of necessity. He can only freely will of necessity to love his own goodness.

It is not consistent with the infinite perfection of the divine essence to assert that God wills creation of necessity, yet freely of course. The next part of my argument, to be developed, is to show why God can only will creation freely but not of necessity.

 

[TheWhim]

Indeed, MoM, we’ve just broached on this topic in another thread, as Aeropagite has mentioned. JDaniel has copied some official or semi-official Catholic text there you may want to take a look at:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=378459&page=5

Just an extract:
*"In considering the ultimate reason why God created the world we must distinguish the two very different meanings of the word creation. The term “creation” is used to denote: (1)the Divine activity as creative, and (2) the finite universe as the product of creation. The reason of the omnipotent act itself is one with God’s essential delight in his perfection and power as possessing that exemplary excellence whereby all else must depend creatively upon himself. The sufficient reason of the creative act as such is thus totally immanent to the Divine Cause. But the finite universe, considered in itself as the product of omnipotence, contributes nothing to the Divine reason or motive in creating. Finite things cannot contain within themselves the ultimate reason of their nature or existence. They are not purposed for their own sakes, but because they represent the glorious nature of their triune Maker.

It follows that Deity is under no obligation to create finite entities, and is perfectly free in conceiving their possibility no less than in giving them actual existence. Even the human will cannot be compelled to act by a finite object, still less the Divine."
*From The Teaching of the Catholic Church, The Macmillan Company, 1962, New York, Vol. I, Ch. III, The One God, by Rev. A. L. Reys,