Comparative study of divine will from the perspective of Avicenna and Spinoza

Among the positive attributes of God, the attribute of will is of particular importance. While most philosophers and theologians have accepted God's possessing will, there has been a great deal of difference in its meaning between philosophers and different theological schools throughout history. In this article, in a descriptive-analytical method, referring to the works of Avicenna and Spinoza, the attribute of will and its related issues have been discussed in a comparative way. This article responds to three major questions, given the wide range of topics discussed in relation to will. 1. What does the divine will mean, and what is the semantic difference between Gods will and will in humans? 2. What is the relationship of divine will with its essence and its other attributes? 3. What is the relationship between the will of God and human will? From the frequent emphases of Avicenna on the lack of conceptual conflict of all divine attributes, and especially of the two traits of Gods will and knowledge, it follows that, like Spinoza, he does not intend to embrace the same conventional meaning of will that is coherent with desire and passion in the case of Human beings work, attributed to God.