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Philosophy 1 > Evil and suffering > Flashcards

Evil and suffering Flashcards

1
Q

What did C.S. Lewis say on the topic of evil?

A

‘Evil comes from the abuse of free will’

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2
Q

What is the logical problem of evil?

A

If God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent then how come evil exists?

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3
Q

What is J.L Mackie’s inconsistent triad

A

God is (A) omniscient/omnipotent and (b) omnibenevolent.
however evil (c) exists.
this means that either (a) or (b) must be logically inconsistent and therefore wrong.

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4
Q

What is the inconsistent triad?

A

As there is clear evidence of evil, if god cannot stop it, the is not all-powerful. or if god doesn’t care he is not loving and good therefore he either doesn’t exist, or he isn’t the god in the bible.

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5
Q

What did Epicurus say about the problem of evil?

A

’ is god willing to prevent evil but not able? then he is not omnipotent. is he able but not willing? then he is malevolent. is he both able and willing? then whence evil?

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6
Q

What did David Hume say about the problem of evil?

A
  1. Either god is not omnipotent/omniscient
    or
  2. god is not omnibenevolent
    or
  3. evil does not exist and since evil doesn’t exist then god does not.
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7
Q

What is the evidential problem of evil?

A

The existence of widespread evil and suffering in the world provides evidence against the existence of a traditional God. evil is strong empirical evidence that god does not exist.

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8
Q

What is solution 1 to the problem of evil?

A

Denying God’s omnipotence. if god is not omnipotent then he cannot control evil. (process theology)

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9
Q

Problems with solution 1?

A
  1. a god who is not omnipotent is not worthy of worship
  2. A non-omnipotent god would not be a god as omnipotence is a matter of faith
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10
Q

What is solution 2 to the problem of evil?

A

Denying God’s omnibenevolence. God does not stop evil because he is not all-loving.

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11
Q

Problems with solution 2?

A

The belief that god is good is a central belief to Christianity and life in heaven and it is a support to those who experience evil.
‘ god will wipe away every tear

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12
Q

What is solution 3 to the problem of evil?

A

Denying that evil exists. this is proposed by St.Augustine proposed that evil is simply a privation of good.

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13
Q

Problems with solution three?

A

Denying the reality of evil is not seen to be an acceptable solution. most people have experienced the power of evil and see it as tangible as goodness.

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14
Q

What does theodicy mean?

A

means ‘righteous god’ or ‘defence of god’ its an argument that suggests that god is right to allow the existence of evil and suffering because in one way or another, it is necessary.

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15
Q

What is the Augustinian theodicy?

A

God is just and allows suffering to happen as a punishment for evil sin.

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16
Q

In further detail what is the Augustinan theodicy?

A

when god created the world he made it perfect and therefore evil did not come from god - it came from the decisions made by humans. humans misuse our free will and use it to disobey god. Also evil is not a thing in itself, just a privation of good. afterwards, humans lost their immortality and Adam’s descendants inherited his first sin (original sin) because of this humans are inclined to make bad decisions and act immorally which results in evil.

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17
Q

What quote can be used to back up the Augustinian theodicy?

A

‘god saw all that he had made, and it was good.’ ‘all evil is either sin or the punishment of sin’

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18
Q

What are Schleiermacher’s criticisms of the Augustinian theodicy?

A
  1. If god had created a perfect world, then it could never go wrong
  2. If humans were able to choose evil then evil must’ve existed in the first place.
  3. if evil existed in the first place then the world wasn’t perfect and if the world wasn’t perfect then god is to blame for evil and suffering.
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19
Q

Other criticisms of the Augustinian theodicy.

A
  1. In nature suffering is vital for survival. : things must die so that others eat and live. god must’ve made the world this way.
  2. god is unjust in allowing humans to be punished for Adam’s sin.
  3. The existence of hell as a place of punishment contradicts God’s loving nature.
  4. if hell was part of the design of God’s universe and god knew that the fall would happen, why did he allow it to happen.?
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20
Q

Who was St Irenaeus?

A

A 2nd century bishop an early church father and an apologist . his writings such as against heresies and the demonstration of apostolic preaching were formative in the development of the early Christian church.

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21
Q

What is the Irenean theodicy?

A

God deliberately made the world Imperfect so that humans could through trial and adversity become perfect human beings God created the world to be imperfect from the start. this imperfection allows humans to develop from the image of god to the likeness of god. Perfection has to be developed by humans themselves through free will.

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22
Q

What is soul-making?

A

The idea is that suffering ultimately makes people develop into better human beings.

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23
Q

What did Ireneaus say to back up his theodicy?

A

’ a world without problems, difficulties, perils and hardships would be morally static, for moral and spiritual growth comes through responses to challenges and in paradise there are no challenges.’

24
Q

What quote from Romans backs up the Irenaen theodicy?

A

‘we rejoice in our suffering because we know suffering produces perseverance , character and hope,’

25
Q

Criticisms of the Irenan theodicy?

A
  1. suffering does not always result in positive human development.
  2. Suffering can produce nothing but misery.
  3. Why are there such extremes of suffering and do such happenings really produce good?
  4. Love can never be expressed by allowing suffering to happen. - D.Z Phillips.
26
Q

What did D.Z Phillips say about the Irenaen theodicy?

A

‘What are we to say of the child dying from cancer? if this has been done for a purpose planned for eternity - that is the deepest evil. If God is this kind of agent, he cannot justify his actions and his evil nature is revealed.’

27
Q

Strengths of the Irenaen theodicy

A
  1. biblically based so acceptable to Christians ‘let us make mankind in our image and likeness’
  2. It’s a good explanation for why god ‘allows’ evil we need free will to choose to be like god he doesn’t intervene as this would compromise our development.
  3. Accpets evil is a part of the world instead of avoiding it altogether.
  4. It provides a goal for humanity to strive towards.
  5. shows god loves all as all can reach perfection.
  6. supports the idea of evolution that humans gradually develop.
28
Q

What did Richard Swinburn say about the Irenaen theodicy?

A

without evil and suffering in the world many of the attributes we so admire In people - compassion, kindness, generosity- wouldn’t exist if we didn’t have suffering in the first place.

29
Q

What is Hick’s vale of soul making?

A

He develops the Irenaen theodicy further by saying that through hardships and life, humans develop virtues and these virtues are more meaningful in comparison to if they were just given by god. These good moral traits are best as they come from free will. Everyone has the chance to achieve etrnal life and the perfect world is one to look forward too.

30
Q

What is the free will defence?

A

The FWD is an argument that explains the existence of evil by saying that god gave humans free will, which allows them to make moral choices. while free will is a greater good it also leads to the possibility of moral evil, as people misuse their freedom. God does not prevent all evil becasue doing so would eliminate geniuine freedom and moral responsibility.

31
Q

What is first order good?

A

first order goods refer to basic immediate forms of good such as pleasure happiness and ststsfaction.

32
Q

What is first order evil?

A

refers to basic immediate forms of suffering such as physical pain sadness and discomforts.

33
Q

What is second order goods?

A

responds to first order evil, such as virtues like courage, kindness or compassion

34
Q

What are second order evils?

A

more complex forms of evil such as cruelty or malisous intent in response to the first orders.

35
Q

What is the third order good?

A

free will. the choice to choose the second order goods/evils in response to the first orders.

36
Q

What is mackies rejection of the FWD?

A

‘If god has made men such that in their free choices they sometimes choose good/evil, why could he have not made men such that they always freely choose the good?.’

37
Q

What does Mackie think about the FWD?

A

it is logically possible for a person to make free good chocies, all of the time. god could have created humans so that they would only make free good choices. god did not do so therefore he either lacks the power, love or he does not exist,.

38
Q

What does Plantinga think about Mackies Rejection of the FWD?

A
  • there is no possible world that god could have created in which humans would always make free good choices.
  • in such a world even if you wanted to tell lies you could not because god would have made that world where in effect you could not lie.
  • in a world without any kind of evil, you could not think evil thoughts , so clearly you would not be free at all.
39
Q

Plantinga and God’s power.

A

God can do everything that is logically possible. but it is logically impossible to make people so that they always freely choose the good.

40
Q

What is Plantinga’s MSR 1?

A

‘god creation of persons with morally significant free will is something of tremendous value.
- god could not eliminate evil without removing our free will
- most mothers allow the small pain of a needle to be inflicted on their children because that pain brings about a greater good (immunisation against disease.)
- freedom is important because it means people are morally responsible for their decisions.

41
Q

What is Plantinga’s PW1?

A
  1. god creates people with morally significant free will.
  2. god does not casually determine people in every situation to choose what is right and avoid what is evil.
  3. there is evil and suffering in PW! (our current world)
42
Q

What is Plantinga’s PW2?

A
  1. God does not create people with morally significantly free will
  2. God casually determines people in every situation to choose what is right nd avoid what is wrong.
  3. there is no evil or suffering in PW” (‘the goodness of robots’)
43
Q

What is Plantinga’s PW3?

A
  1. God creates people with morally significantly free will
  2. God casually determines people in every situation to choose what is right and avoid what is wrong.
  3. there is no evil and suffering in PW3 (mackie’s world - logically impossible)
44
Q

What is Plantinga’s defence of natural evil? (MSR 2)

A

God allows natural evil to enter the world as a punishment for Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden.

45
Q

What are the strengths of the FWD?

A
  1. establishes that a world with free creatures is more valuable than one without. without freedom, there is no achievement or real happiness.
  2. natural evils can bring about second-order goods like kindness and compassion.
  3. Plantinga successfully shows that Mackie’s rejection is incorrect.
46
Q

What are the weaknesses of the FWD?

A
  1. Plantinga’s Argument does not show that MSR1 AND 2 are true. his explanation for natural evil is mythological and is shaky to say the best.
  2. the FWD relies on a libertarian account of free will. this cannot be proved.
  3. not a convincing response: freedom is not worth its price, and if god knew the full extent of human evil why did he bother to create the world in the first place?
47
Q

What is process theodicy?

A

God is not all-powerful in a coercive sense but is bound to the universe and influences it under persuasion. god creative role is to develop what was already there. this is through evolution on earth. this means that the chaotic matter that the universe is formulated from has some power to resist god. this is where god cannot control evil and is instead ‘ a fellow suffer’ of it

48
Q

How do we develop a theodicy according to griffin?

A
  1. we cannot believe any doctrine just because what the doctrine says is not logically impossible. we need to seek the most probable view of reality we can find.
  2. any revealed theodicy must be abandoned if it does not make sense which is why we should abandon creation ex nihilo and god omnipotence
  3. we should accept common notions about our existence. i.e free will and evil.
    4 the bible or church or tradition cannot guarantee the truth of any Christian doctrine.
49
Q

Strengths of process theodicy?

A
  1. realistic approach. - the conclusion that god is not omnipotent is a realistic answer to the problem of evil: god simply does not have the power to control it.
  2. Reality is constantly changing - The fact that reality is a constant chaotic process of flux and change gives strength to Griffin’s argument. : the universe was not created ex nihilo but a gradual ordering of the chaotic material that is itself.
    3- an understanding God - the fact that god suffers because he contains the entire sensory experience of the universe means that he shares in our suffering.
50
Q

Weaknesses of process theodicy

A
  1. God’s lack of omnipotency makes him unworthy of worship.
  2. can be viewed as unchristian because god’s lack of power is not classically theistic.
  3. the evidential problem of evil- if God saw that his persuasion of the universe brings about greater and greater amounts of evil why did he not just cease his efforts- why did god start a process he could not control?
51
Q

Quote against process theodicy? - john roth

A

‘A god of such weakness, no matter how much he suffers , is rather pathetic. good though he may be, griffins god is too small.’

52
Q

Quote for process theodicy? - Hartshorne

A

‘god is the fellow sufferer who understands.’

53
Q

What is a Priori truth?

A

a truth or answer that can be found using our reason and no empirical evidence is needed.

54
Q

What is a posteriori truth

A

a truth or answer based on our experience of the world around us. found using empirical senses.

55
Q

What is inductive proof?

A

a set of premises that move towards a conclusion that is not logically necessary, only probable. the conclusion of the truth is not contained within the premises. this is a posterior because the premises and conclusion are dependent on external evidence.

56
Q

What is deductive proof?

A

a set of premises that move towards a logically necessary conclusion. this does not prove anything that si not already included in the premises. a prior because no external evidence is needed to reach the cocnlusion.

Philosophy 1 (2 decks)

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