criticism of Arguements Flashcards
Criticisms of Epicurus argument
Free Will Defence
Soul Making Theory
Greater Good Arguement - Evil serves a purpose beyond human understanding
Privation Theory - Evil is thought to be the lack of good - deflects blame from God
Criticisms of David Hume argument
Free Will Defense
Greater Good Argument
Critiscms of Cosmological argument
Infinite Regress: If everything needs a cause, then why doesn’t God need one too?
Fallacy of Composition: Just because every part of the universe has a cause doesn’t mean the universe as a whole does.
Quantum Mechanics: Quantum physics suggests not everything requires a cause, challenging the argument’s core assumption.
Special Pleading: The argument exempts God from needing a cause without justifying why only God can be uncaused.
Conceptual Leap: Even if a first cause exists, it doesn’t prove that this cause is the God of classical theism.
Criticisms of teleological argument
Natural Selection: Evolution explains the appearance of design without the need for an intelligent designer.
Problem of Evil: The existence of natural evil (e.g., suffering, disease) challenges the idea of a benevolent designer.
Anthropic Principle: The argument may simply reflect the fact that we observe a universe suited for life because we are here, not because it was designed.
Fallacy of Analogy: Critics argue that comparing natural complexity to human-made designs is flawed because natural processes operate differently from human creation.
Multiple Designers: The argument doesn’t rule out the possibility of multiple designers, not just one omnipotent God.
Criticisms of Nietzsche belief
Moral Relativism: Critics argue that Nietzsche’s rejection of absolute morality leads to moral relativism, making it difficult to distinguish between right and wrong.
Nihilism: His philosophy is seen by some as leading to nihilism, where life lacks inherent meaning or purpose, potentially resulting in despair or destructive behavior.
Overemphasis on Power: Nietzsche’s focus on the “will to power” is criticized for glorifying domination and overlooking the value of compassion and cooperation.
Elitism: His concept of the Übermensch (superman) is seen as promoting elitism and devaluing the worth of ordinary people.
Criticisms of Victor Frankl’s belief
Overemphasis on Meaning: Critics argue that Viktor Frankl’s focus on finding meaning in suffering may oversimplify the complexity of human experiences and underestimate the impact of external circumstances.
Optimism Bias: Some believe that Frankl’s emphasis on the ability to find meaning in all situations is overly optimistic and may not apply to everyone, especially those in extreme or inescapable suffering.
Criticisms of Judaism’s view of suffering
Theodicy Issues: Critics argue that Judaism’s explanations for suffering, such as testing faith or punishment for sin, do not fully address the problem of gratuitous or seemingly unjust suffering.
Human Free Will: Some suggest that attributing suffering to human free will does not account for natural disasters and suffering of innocents, challenging the adequacy of this explanation.
Criticisms of Christianity’s view of suffering
Theodicy Problems: Critics argue that Christian explanations for suffering, such as testing faith or moral growth, do not adequately address instances of seemingly unjust or gratuitous suffering.
Problem of Evil: The existence of extensive suffering and evil challenges the Christian belief in an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God, raising questions about the coherence of these attributes with the presence of suffering.
