Philosophy: Evil and Suffering Flashcards
Which two scholars are associated with the Soul Making Theodicy?
St Irenaeus and John Hick
How is “Man was made in the image and likeness of God” used by Irenaeus to explain his theodicy?
- Irenaeus distinguished between “image” and “likeness”, with image meaning physical form and likeness meaning content or soul.
- Therefore, Adam and Eve committed Original Sin because, while they had the form of God, they had not developed the qualities of God.
- God therefore punished them (and the rest of the world) with suffering so the soul could mature and eventually become the ‘content’ of God.
What are the main ideas in the Irenaean Theodicy?
- Humans were created “in the image and likeness of God”, but we are born in an immature moral state.
- Humans have the potential for moral perfection (developing the “likeness of God”), but this is a gradual process that occurs when humans experience suffering and hardship.
- Experiences of suffering prompt a person to make a free and conscious choice to choose God over base instinct.
- Therefore, God causing/allowing suffering is justifiable as it allows humans to develop moral values, and come to God freely.
What are two reasons why evil and suffering are useful/good according to the Irenaean Theodicy?
- It gives us knowledge of what pain is, which increases our compassion for others in pain.
- Suffering allows people to grow morally, as if the world was a perfect paradise, there would be no value of moral choices, or even the opportunities to make them
What is Vardy’s Story of the King and the Peasant Girl, and how does it relate to Hick’s Soul-Making Theodicy
- In Vardy’s story, the King demands the love of a peasant girl he has fallen in love with, but the most she can do is fake love, She cannot produce genuine feeling on command.
- Hick argues the same is true of humanity’s relationship with God. God cannot command humanity to love Him as that love would not be genuine.
- Therefore, humans must come to love God freely, and this is done through development as a result of suffering.
Why does Hick believe humans were created imperfect?
If humans need to develop a love for God, there must be room for this development, hence humanity’s initial imperfection.
What is the ‘epistemic distance’ and why is is necessary?
- The epistemic distance is a distance between humans and God in knowledge and understanding. In other words, God is omnisciently aware of humanity, but humans do not know God exists (at least not in a direct and certain sense)
- If there wasn’t an epistemic distance, humans would know that God existed, and would no longer be able to make free moral decisions out of fear or obligation.
- Thus, the importance of coming to love God out of free will would mean nothing and the developmental process would be influenced negatively.
According to Hick, why is suffering needed for free will/choice?
- A free moral choice is only a free choice if there is a range of options to pick from, and some of these logically lead to suffering
- If suffering was not an option, then morality would be valueless as suffering is what allows humanity to develop moral virtues
- Furthermore, the risk-reward system that the world currently operates on provides motivation and incentive to make the choices and therefore develop as a person.
What is universalism?
The idea that all people get to heaven at some point, regardless of personal belief, circumstance etc.
- Hick’s Theodicy is universalist as he believes that all people will eventually be persuaded to develop a relationship with God, even if this takes several lifetimes/existences.
- This is because, for Hick, the concept of hell does not align with the concept of an omnibenevolent God
Give two strengths of Hick’s Soul-Making Theodicy
Give two weaknesses of Hick’s Soul-Making Theodicy
What are the three characteristics of genuine free will?
- Permission to do evil
- Ability to do evil
- Opportunity to do evil
What is Mackie’s connection to the Free Will Defence?
Mackie set out the FWD in a very coherent way, but only to show it to be an inadequate solution to the problem of evil.
- He was an atheist and did NOT support the FWD
What two things must the FWD prove to be a successful theodicy?
- Free Will necessarily leads to evil and suffering
- Free Will is worth the cost of all the suffering in the world (i.e. it is better to be free and morally responsible than to be puppets but in a paradise without evil)
Outline the FWD (i.e the diagram)
- First order goods (experiences of happiness and pleasure) and first order evils (experiences of pain and suffering)
- Second order goods (positive responses to first order good/evil) maximise first order goods and minimise first order evils. Second order evils (negative responses to first order good/evil) maximise first order evils and minimise first order goods
- Freedom is the third order good, allowing humans to choose between and instantiate second order goods and evil
- God is the fourth order good as He gave humanity freedom. He is justified on allowing evil as it is the natural result of freedom, which is worth having.
