Epilogue

Abstract

The short epilogue asks whether the observations this study makes about Fakhr al-Din al-Razi early career before he reached the age of 40, when he wrote philosophical books, are also true for his late œuvre? It suggests that during his late life, al-Razi was overwhelmed by an argument similar to Pascal’s wager: If the rational evidence in favor of a philosophical God is equal in strength to the rational evidence for the God of kalam, prudence dictates to choses the latter. This, because if kalam is right and God is a free-choosing and omniscient agent, then He will punish all those who deny these attributes. The God of philosophy, however, will not punish believers in those attributes. A decision in favor of the God of kalam will, in whatever circumstance, not trigger punishment in the afterlife. In his late work al-Razi decided in favor of the God of kalam, not because he thought such a decision is more convincing, but because it is more prudent.