exam 4

Question 1

what is the logical argument from evil

Answer 1

Mackie’s problem of evil

Question 2

what is the evidential argument from evil (William Rowe)

Answer 2

1) there exists pointless evil (evil that does not serve any purpose)
2) an all good/powerful/knowledgeable being would prevent the occurrence of pointless evil
3) but there is pointless evil
4) hence there is no such being

Question 3

what is William rowes position on the existence of pointless evil

Answer 3

there is an equal argument to say that pointless evil exists and does not exist (atheism and theism is rational)

rationality is dependent on the individual

Question 4

What is Wykston’s skeptical theism (response to Rowe’s evidential argument)

Answer 4

1) humans would only to assess whether there is pointless evil if they had access to the big picture
2) but humans dont have such access

Question 5

counter to skeptical theism

Answer 5

1) skeptical theism implies moral paralysis

lack of intervening in seemingly evil because you may fear that you are preventing something good in the big picture

Question 6

what is the parental analogy with the evidential argument

Answer 6

parent would not explain everything to child, trust god even if evil seems pointless

counter: parent would do everything reasonable to explain it to a child. people pray and are ignored

Question 7

what are the major objections to god

Answer 7

1) problem of evil
2) coherence objections
3) hiddenness objections
4) redundancy objections
5) evidential objections

Question 8

what is the coherence objection

Answer 8

attempts to create incoherence with qualities of god to show theism is false

Question 9

coherence objection with omnibenevolence

Answer 9

problem of evil

Question 10

coherence objection with omnipotence + counter

Answer 10

problem of the stone

counter: problem of the stone is a contradiction and omnipotence does not factor in contradictions

Question 11

coherence objection with omniscience (foreknowledge problem)

Answer 11

omniscience implies foreknowledge which implies lack of free will

Question 12

counters to coherence objection with omniscience (foreknowledge problem)

Answer 12

counter1: open theism - God does not know the future (Cicero, Swinburne)

Counter 2: Distinguish will/can happen

counter 3: buethias: strictly god has no foreknowledge (god knows everything now, god is timeless)

Question 13

what is open theism

Answer 13

denial of foreknowledge on gods behalf

Question 14

why can god not be immutable if free will exists

Answer 14

if god is immutable, his omniscience is immutable and then he would have eternally immutable omniscience, i.e. see the whole future immutably, which would then violate free will

Question 15

what is distinguishing between will/can happen

Answer 15

foreknowledge follows free choices/recognizes choices. You do not HAVE to eat a hamburger, but you will. Must means you cannot do otherwise, but god knows you will freely do it

Question 16

explain Buethius foreknowledge claim

Answer 16

God knows everything that is going to happen now, even if it is in the future for humanity

(god is timeless)

Question 17

who made the hiddeness objection

Answer 17

shellenberg

Question 18

what is the hiddeness objection

Answer 18

a perfectly loving god would make his existence known to people who didn’t know of him but wanted to know

Question 19

what is the redundancy objection (from epicureans)

Answer 19

1) we should always claim the simpler explanation (principle of simplicity)
2) naturalism is the simpler explanation

Question 20

what is principle of simplicity

Answer 20

we should always claim the simpler explanation

Question 21

counter for redundancy objection

Answer 21

naturalism is not the simpler explanation because nothing comes from nothing. God is required

Question 22

what are the different theistic stories

Answer 22

hume: need for happiness
Marx: class conflict
freud: cosmic dad

Question 23

what is Humes theistic story

Answer 23

want to end up happy and not be miserable, arguments are an afterthought

Question 24

what is marxs theistic story

Answer 24

people believe in god because of class conflict (rich vs poor)

gives oppressed light through tunnel

gives oppressors motivation

Question 25

what is Freuds theistic story

Answer 25

need protector because dad can’t protect you from everything (cosmic dad)

Question 26

plantinga counter to naturalistic arguments

Answer 26

these stories are just announced and not argued for

what if you dont find story plausible?

Question 27

plantinga thoughts on natural vs theistic belief in god

Answer 27

if naturalism is true, it makes sense to look for belief in god through natural means as those are The only ones that exist

if theism is true, god may influence thoughts to allow for belief in god

it is justifiable to think that god exists, and it is wrong to think that it is unjustified to think god doesn’t exist