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A-level Philosophy > Evil and Suffering > Flashcards

Evil and Suffering Flashcards

1
Q

What is natural evil?

A

Evil with no human agent responsible such as natural disasters and diseases

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2
Q

What is moral evil?

A

Any action where the moral agent uses their free will to bring about morally bad consequences. Such as adultery and lying

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3
Q

What is the logical problem of evil?

A

The existence of evil is logically inconsistent with the existence of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient God. Unless we felt pain we would never learn endurance so some evil is necessary to make the world as good a place it is
(inconsistent triad)

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4
Q

What is the evidential problem of evil?

A

The amount of evil and suffering in the world counts against God’s existence
1. evil that is overwhelming in quality and quantity
2. evil that is pointless as it serves no useful purpose

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5
Q

What is a theist?

A

Someone who believes in God

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6
Q

What did Epicurus say about the logical 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 cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
– Epicurus

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7
Q

What did Mackie reformulate Epicurus’ argument into?

A

The inconsistent triad

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8
Q

What is the inconsistent triad?

A

Either Omnipotence, omnibenevolence or evil must not exist, since all three are inconsistent
if evil exists, an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God cannot exist

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9
Q

What does Mackie say about the logical problem of evil?

A

“God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists. There seems to be some contradiction between these three propositions”

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10
Q

What does Hume say about the evidential problem of evil?

A
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11
Q

What is a theodicy?

A

Literally means ‘righteous God’ or ‘defence of God.’ A theodicy is an argument that suggests God is right to allow the existence of evil and suffering because, in some way or another, they are necessary

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12
Q

Who is St Augustine of Hippo?

A

Early Christian theologian and philosopher
Writings include ‘The City of Gold’ and ‘Confessions’

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13
Q

What was Augustine’s theodicy?

A

God exists but so do evil and suffering.
all are necessary in this world.
God is right to allow evil and suffering as they play an important part in our nature and development as humans.
God is just and allows suffering to happen as a punishment for human sin
Evil isn’t a real thing it is a privation of good.

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14
Q

What does Augustine say about OG sin?

A

Evil is the result of Adam and Eve’s misuse of their free will leading to sin/evil/suffering
N+M evil can all be traced back to Adam and Eve.

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15
Q

Quote for God creating a good world

A

“God saw all that he made, and it was good”-Genesis

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16
Q

What are criticisms of Augustine’s theodicy?

A

God is unjust for punishing A+E
Humans could choose evil so must have existed before
If God created a perfectly good world then it could never go wrong
Existence of Hell contradicts the existence of an all-loving God
Things must die-God made the world like this (survival of the fittest)

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17
Q

What does Augustine say about freedom and people?

A

We have true moral autonomy
Freedom leads to the fall
Freedom leads to suffering
We are redeemed through Christ

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18
Q

Who was St Irenaeus?

A

2nd century bishop an early Church Father and apologist (a person who offers an argument in defence of something controversial). His writings, such as Against Heresies and
The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, were formative in the early development of Christian theology.

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19
Q

What is the Irenaean Theodicy?

A

In Against Heresies, he claimed that God deliberately created an imperfect world so that humans could, through trial and adversity, develop into perfect beings.
In a sense, evil and suffering are part of God’s plan for humanity.

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20
Q

What does soul-making mean?

A

Suffering ultimately makes people develop into better
human beings.

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21
Q

How is the Irenaen theodicy upwards and soul-making?

A

Offers the opportunity for humanity to improve themselves to work up to perfection

Humanity is on a learning curve, striving for perfection-suffering has the benefit of creating an environment where desirable characteristics can be developed by mankind

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22
Q

What are 2 quotes from Ireneaus?

A

“Moral and spiritual growth comes through responses to challenges”
“World without problems would be morally static”

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23
Q

What is a quote from the Bible that supports Ireneaus?

A

“We rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character and hope.”
Romans 5:3

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24
Q

Why does God create the world like this in Ireneaus’ theodicy?

A

God deliberately created the world and humans imperfectly, in order that they could develop into perfection. (LINK TO THE QUOTE FROM ROMANS).
God created humans with the intention of allowing them to develop. You can’t experience courage without experiencing fear; you can’t experience what it’s like to pass without failing something first.

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25
Q

How does the Irenaean theodicy link to soul-making?

A

Through struggles with natural disasters, with illness, with the actions of other people, we mature and develop spiritually. So, both natural and moral evil are necessary. We can understand this world as a place of “soul-making” – a place where we are allowed to develop as spiritual beings and learn from mistakes.

· Irenaeus argued that a human’s freedom gives him/her the potential to grow into the likeness of God through responsible choices and the exercise of this free will enable a human to make a difference to their environment.

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26
Q

What are some criticisms of the Irenaean theodicy?

A
  • Suffering does not always result in positive human development.
  • Suffering can produce nothing but misery.
  • Why are there such extremes of suffering and do such happenings really produce good?
27
Q

What are some strengths of the Irenaean theodicy?

A
  • Biblically based → partly based on the ideas of Genesis ‘Let us make mankind in our own image and likeness’ Therefore acceptable to Christians.
  • It shows why God allows evil→ we need free will to choose to be like God. Therefore shows why he doesn’t
    intervene as he would compromise our development.
    *Irenaeus accepts evil as part of the world. Saying evil is
    necessary and worth it.
  • It provides a goal for humanity to strive towards
  • Shows God loves all his human creations because everyone has the ability to reach spiritual perfection and go to heaven.
  • Supports the idea of evolution that humans gradually develop.
28
Q

Which two philosophers support Irenaeus’ theodicy

A

John Hick developed his ‘Vale of soul making’ theodicy using Irenaeus’ ideas as a philosophy

Richard Swinburne argued that 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 the suffering in the first place. He argues that many of the moral virtues we admire are only possible in an
imperfect world

29
Q

Who was John Hick?

A

British philosopher and theologian.
He taught in the UK (Birmingham/Cambridge) and
America (Cornell/ Princeton) and is best known for his
writings on:
* The Problem of Evil
* Christology
* Eschatology
* Religious Pluralism
He was a modernising voice within Christian theology
and was accused of heresy twice in the 1960’s.

30
Q

What theory does John Hick propose?

A

Soul-making theory

31
Q

What is the soul-making theory?

A

Hick further developed the theory, called the ‘vale of soul-making.’ Hick agreed that humans were created as imperfect from the start, so that they could grow and develop into the ‘likeness’ of God. He developed this further by explaining that through hardships and life, humans develop virtues, and these virtues are more meaningful than if they were simply graced to us by God.

32
Q

How does Hick differ from Augustine?

A

Unlike Augustine, who claimed that humanity destroyed a perfect world, Hick and Irenaeus say that the perfect world is one to look forward to. Hick believes that everyone has the chance to achieve eternal life.

33
Q

Why does Hick say God created imperfect beings?

A

God created humans as imperfect beings with the potential to grow and develop into morally and spiritually mature individuals. This process of growth, or “soul-making,” requires the presence of challenges and adversities

We are ‘Children of God’

34
Q

What does Hick say about free will?

A

He believes that for humans to genuinely develop virtues like courage, compassion, and patience, they must have the freedom to make their own choices, including the possibility of choosing evil

35
Q

Who was Hick influenced by?

A

Hick’s ideas are influenced by the early Christian theologian Irenaeus, who also emphasized the importance of human development and the role of suffering in achieving moral and spiritual growth.

36
Q

What does Hick say is the purpose of suffering?

A

Hick suggests that suffering and evil are not pointless but serve a greater purpose in the divine plan. They provide the necessary conditions for humans to develop virtues that would not be possible in a world without such challenges.

37
Q

What does Hick say is the ‘ultimate goal’

A

The ultimate goal of this process is for humans to achieve a likeness to God, developing qualities that reflect divine goodness. Hick maintains that this process is part of God’s loving and patient plan for humanity.

38
Q

What is a criticism of Hicks theory?

A

While Hick’s theodicy provides a framework for understanding the role of evil in human development, it faces criticisms, particularly regarding the extent and distribution of suffering and the problem of natural evil.

39
Q

What are strengths of Hick’s theory?

A

evil and suffering is necessary for the development of virtues such as courage, compassion, and patience.

emphasizes the importance of free will, suggesting that true freedom requires the possibility of choosing evil. This aligns with the idea that humans must have the freedom to make their own choices to develop morally and spiritually.

God is loving and patient, working towards the ultimate good of humanity. This view does not compromise the traditional attributes of God (omniscience, omnipotence, and omnibenevolence).

40
Q

What are weaknesses of Hick’s theory?

A

does not adequately address the existence of extreme and seemingly gratuitous evils. The presence of such evils challenges the idea that all suffering is necessary for soul-making.

distribution of suffering is often seen as arbitrary and unfair. Some individuals experience far more suffering than others, which raises questions about the justice and fairness of Hick’s theodicy.

struggles to explain natural evil (suffering caused by natural events like earthquakes and diseases). Critics argue that such evils do not contribute to soul-making in a meaningful way.

41
Q

What is Hick’s ‘two step process’ of creation and
development?

A

humans create and develop their children to God’s creation and development of the human race. ‘Let us make mankind in our own image’
Hick calls the image ‘Bios’, meaning the biological life of human beings. He calls the likeness ‘Zoe’, by which he means the perfect personal life of humans as seen in Jesus.
(Zoe means the human state is perfected or completed)
Human parents create their children biologically and then develop their character, God creates the human race through biology and allows it to develop itself until every human being achieves the likeness of Christ

42
Q

What is the The Christian Free Will Defence?

A

God is justified in allowing evil to exist in the universe because evil is needed to allow humans to understand and prefer the good

43
Q

Does Mackie support The Christian Free Will Defence?

A

No
questions why God didn’t create us so that we
ALWAYS choose good over evil of our own freewill

44
Q

What is Mackie’s FWD?

A

created a version of the FWD to show that using free will as a defence of God in the face of evil does not work.
* Mackie stated that humans have the free choice, to both maximise and
minimise first order good and evil in the world but it would have been ‘obviously better’ for God to make ‘beings who would act freely but always go right’.
* God however, did not create humans this way and that’s because either God lacks the power to do so, or God is not loving enough to do so, and for
Mackie wither way either way, the Free Will Defence fails.
* Mackie’s obvious conclusion from all of this is simple and it’s that God does not exist

45
Q

What does Mackie do do the FWD?

A

Reveals the weaknesses of it

46
Q

What is a first order god and evil

A

good- The experience in life of happiness or pleasure, E.G.
Reading a good book.

evil- The experience in life of misery or pain, E.G. stubbing
your toe.

47
Q

What is a second order god and evil

A

good-We can respond to suffering with kindness, love, compassion, etc. Second- order goods exists to
maximise first- order good and minimise first- order evils

evil-good-We can respond to suffering with cruelty, hate, spite, etc. Second- order evil exists to maximise first- order evils and minimise first- order goods

48
Q

What is a Third-Order Good (FREEDOM)

A

Free will allows humans to choose between two things. Pain and suffering are needed to help us develop the capacity for
sympathy, etc. So, we spiritually/morally “grow”. The downside is that many will choose the opposite.

49
Q

What is a Fourth-Order Good (GOD)

A

God creates humans with free will, which teaches us to be
morally responsible

50
Q

What is a quote from Mackie?

A

“The obviously better possibility of making beings who would act freely but always go right”

51
Q

Who argues against Mackie’s FWD?

A

Plantinga
God could not create humans free and good

52
Q

What does Plantinga argue?

A

no possible world that God could have created in which humans would always make free, good choices. In a world without any kind of evil, you could not even think evil thoughts, so clearly you would not be free at all.
words ‘free to choose’ must mean that there is a real choice between real options
* The statement ‘God cannot do this’ does not limit God’s power - God can do everything that is logically possible, but it is logically impossible to make people so that they always freely choose the good.
* This does not mean the Free Will Defence is right, but it does provide a reasonable explanation for evil. Knowing that there is at least one good reason why God allows the existence of evil can be enough to support faith in God.

53
Q

Who came up with Process Theology?

A

Griffin

54
Q

Where did Process Theology arise from?

A

English philosopher / mathematician Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)

55
Q

Why was Whitehead fascinated by quantum mechanics?

A

revealed a world in a constant dynamic of flux and change,
and according to Whitehead, God is also growing and
changing

56
Q

What text does Griffin believe is a mistranslation?

A

Genesis

57
Q

What does Griffin reject?

A

Creation ex nihilo

58
Q

What does Griffin believe about God and the world?

A

universe is uncreated and eternal, and God is
inextricably bound with it.

God’s creative role was to develop what was already there, by ‘persuading’ it into a state of greater order and complexity, and the evolution of life on Earth is one aspect of this persuasion.

59
Q

What is Panentheism?

A

The belief or doctrine that God is greater than the universe and includes and interpenetrates it.
It means that ‘all is in God’ i.e. that the universe is connected to God and completely dependent on God and that God is not separate from it

60
Q

How does Quantum Mechanics support Griffin?

A

Quantum mechanics claims that reality is a chaotic process of flux and change giving support to Griffin’s argument that God’s creation of the universe was not creation from nothing but instead was the gradual ordering of pre-existing chaotic matter

61
Q

Why does Griffin reject God’s omnipotence?

A

‘creation from chaos’, chaotic materials have had some power and partially determine themselves so can influence each other
God is not omnipotent

62
Q

How does Griffin abandon key Christian concepts?

A

We cannot believe any doctrine we must seek the most probable view of reality that we can find
Any revealed theology must be abandoned if it does not make sense and we should accept common notions

63
Q

How does Griffin say God and the Universe exist together?

A

necessarily, panetheistically and eternally

64
Q

Why does Griffin say God isn’t transcendent?

A

Sensible to think that both God and the physical universe exist necessarily and exist together in a panentheistic relationship
The universe is ‘in’ God

A-level Philosophy (2 decks)

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