But Aguinas, whether you call it matter in motion or -- as I do -- observe that free will is not reducible to mere material cause, you don't gain anything by positing some supernatural being or force. That simply pushes the problem one step back. How can god be free, etc? You might as well save those attributes for humans since we can observe them in ourselves in any case.
So then there must be something other than matter --the non-material, or "form," as Aristotle termed it.
...you don't gain anything by positing some supernatural being or force.
You certainly do, in that you must grant the existence of the non-material as an essential aspect of reality.
That simply pushes the problem one step back.
That would be true if I was attempting to explain the essence of free will. Instead, I'm merely trying to categorize moral good and evil properly. It's a mistake to place notions of moral good and evil into the category of matter, when they are essentially spiritual terms. It's a category error like "blue love" or "square pride."
How can god be free, etc?
By his nature.
Whether whatever God wills He wills necessarily?
You might as well save those attributes for humans since we can observe them in ourselves in any case.
Free will is observable in man. Refuting it seems to violate common sense and experience. Yet materialists like Rand can offer no coherent explanation for it, if will is simply reducible to blind material forces.