  Unsatisfactory as Ibn Daud’s solution may be, he has nonetheless succeeded in removing the contradiction between biblical verses on the issue and thus in establishing harmony between philosophy and religion. It was important for him to demonstrate this harmony with respect to all the topics that led up to the question under consideration, but it is essential with respect to free will, because here philosophical speculation and religious practice intertwine. For Ibn Daud, there is no point in leading a religious life when man is not free to choose. This issue of free will therefore marks the transition from philosophical speculation to practical philosophy, which is the subject of the last part of ER.