Problem of Evil 😈

Question 1

Who discovered the Problem of Evil?

Answer 1

Ancient Greek Philosopher Epicurus

Question 2

What is the ‘inconsistent triad’ and who developed it?

Answer 2

Developed by J.L. Mackie in 1977.
States that
1. If God were all loving (omnibenevolent), then he would wish to abolish evil
2. If God were all-powerful (omnipotent) , he would be able to abolish evil

Gods omnibenevolence, Gods omnipotence and existence of evil and suffering cannot all be true at the same time

–> Therefore, God is not all-powerful not all-loving or both or doesn’t exist

Question 3

Is the Problem of Evil an objection to all Gods?

Answer 3

No. e.g. Aristotles Prime Mover is indifferent to human suffering
- Mostly an objection to the Christian God (or other Abrahamic religions)

Question 4

Difference between logical and evidential Problem of Evil

Answer 4

• Logical = Inconsistent triad - God’s existence should mean no evil in world at all
• Evidential = Trying to determine what extent of evil would be evidence against the existence of God.

Question 5

What kind of argument is the Evidential problem of evil + what does it say about small vs large amount of evil

Answer 5

• A Posteriori argument (based on experience)
• Small amount of evil could be justified to distinguish between right + wrong or provide motivation to ‘do the right thing’
  –> But evidence of unnecessary evil e.g. Holocaust suggests God doesn’t exists

–> the amount of evil and suffering present in the world cannot be reconciled with the classical God

Question 6

What is the difference between Moral and Natural evil?

Answer 6

• Moral evil - Evil caused by free moral agents e.g. Sandy Hook Massacre or 9/11
• Natural Evil - Suffering caused by natural events e.g. Hurricane Katrina

Question 7

What comes first Evil or Suffering

Answer 7

The result of Evil is Suffereing

Question 8

What is a Theodicy? (include in intro)

Answer 8

A theodicy is an attempt to explain how belief in a good, omnipotent God can be maintained in the face of evil and suffering in the world

Theos = God Dikaios = Justification (not as important)

Question 9

What is the main point of Augustine’s ‘Soul-deciding’ theodicy?

Answer 9

Augustine argues that God created all things good, Evil is not good therefore God did not create evil meaning Evil is ‘not a thing’.
- Evil as privation of Good

• Evil exists because God gave humans free will, When humans abuse this free will they commit evil acts

Question 10

What Biblical quote did Augustine use to back up his theodicy

Answer 10

Genesis 1 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” - God created a world free from evil and suffering

Question 11

If for Augustine Evil was not ‘a thing’ what did he think it was?

Answer 11

• Evil is not a physical entity it is a privation (absence) of Good
• Evil is like a shadow formed from a privation (lack) of light, rather than a physical entity itself

Question 12

What did Augustine say about Men and Angels

Answer 12

• There is a hierarchy amongst all beings.
  –> Men + Angels were crated equal both with free will
• Through humanities choices e.g. Adam and Eve we displayed a lack of goodness (committed sins)
• Original sin and the fall was the choice by Adam and Eve not to live in harmony with God.

Question 13

Why did Augustine belive free will within humans as neccessary?

Answer 13

Without the possibility of corruption we would not be able to understand goodness.
- Free-will is a necessity.
- Since there is happiness for those who do not sin the world is perfect.

Question 14

What did Augustine use ‘the fall’ as an example of?

Answer 14

The Fall - Genesis 3 - is an example of how everything was created ‘good’ but human abuse of free will led to sin and the consequence of evil then suffering

Question 15

What is Augustine’s Aesthetic Principle

Answer 15

Building on his ‘soul deciding’ theodicy.
- Augustine believe the privation (absence) of goodness allows for Characters of good to be appreciated more
e.g. Beauty can be more easily witnessed

Question 16

What are the 4 main criticism of Augustines ‘Soul deciding’ theodicy?

Answer 16

Science
- Modern science - Hick states Augustines theory is “implausible” due to Dawin’s theory of evolution.
–> A Fall from perfection is inaccurate It is not possible for the world to be created perfectly as evolution creates more efficient ‘perfect’ beings.

Adam and Eve’s Sin
- Why does all humanity share the punishment for a sin originally committed by Adam and Eve.

God’s responsibility
- Are natural disasters humanities fault (via Adam). Does this retain notion of loving + merciful God
—> However, If humans were less uncaring, greedy or selfish a lot of natural disasters e.g. famines would be reduced.

Perfection
- If God created humans to be perfect why would they sin - would true perfection contain possiblity for curruption
–> Freidrich Schleiermacher - The fact the fall took place proves God did not create humans perfectly
–> J.L. Mackie - Why did God not create freewilled humans that never sin?

Question 17

What is the Ireanean theodicy also known as + who developed it and when?

Answer 17

• Also known as the ‘soul-making’ theodicy
• Developed by 2nd Century Christian theologist St. Irenaeus

Question 18

What are the main points of Irenaeus’s ‘soul-making’ theodicy?

Answer 18

• Humans were created in the ‘image’ of God not his ‘likeness’ meaning we are immature and imperfect
• We were created with free will but not created perfectly
• Life is a testing ground where man can grow towards the likeness of God
• Evil is necessary for human development, people given the freedom to make mistakes enables them to learn + grow from suffering to become better people

Question 19

What did Irenaeus’s say about Adam and Eve’s ‘Fall’?

Answer 19

Adam and Eve’s sin was not catastrophic but a childish mistake of growing moral knowledge

Question 20

What is a criticism of the Irenaean theodicy based on Genesis?

Answer 20

• God was Angry and punished Adam and Eve heavily for eating the fruit, if this was a necessary mistake he wouldn’t have had this reaction.

Question 21

What is the Epistemic distance? (Ireanean theodicies views + purspoe for this)

Answer 21

God is distant from humanity (not spatially but epistemically) –> do not fully understand God or know his intentions / reasoning for things
- Humans have limitations and need faith + revelation to bridge this gap
- Ireanians believe man can lessen this distance + gain knowledge of God through acting morally
–> Argued God is at an epistemic distance from humans –> ensure belief in him is a free choice not coerced

Question 22

What is Hicks (Irenaean-type) theodicy criteria?

Answer 22

Criteria for successful theodicy must be
- Logically coherent
- Plausible in Modern Age

Question 23

What is Hicks (Irenaean-type) theodicy’s two stage conception of Human kind?

Answer 23

1. Image of God
   - People created in image of God with potential to grow into likeness. At this stage they are imperfect + immature
2. Likeness of God
   Creation complete when humans mature into likeness of God - only possible through experience of evil

Question 24

What is Hicks theodicy also known as?

Answer 24

‘Vale of soul-making’ - the world is a place where individuals are morally strengthened an improved

Question 25

Critique of Hick’s vale of soul-making?

Answer 25

• Michael Tooley –> argues suffering of people with terminal illness, and suffering of children and animals does not lead to any moral developments

Question 26

What is the Eschaton? + Hick’s view

Answer 26

Eschaton = Day at the end of time when God will decide the fates of man
- Hick believes after death we continue to learn and develop morality

Question 27

Criticisms of Irenaean and Hick’s theodicy

Answer 27

Man is created perfectly
- Hick + Irenaean theodicy states humans were not created perfectly - at odds with biblical account.

Do the ends justify the means
- Is all the suffering justifiable.
–> D.Z. Phillips - Argued suffering cannot be justified e.g. Stating Holocaust happened so people could grow gives those that died no value, is callous and adds to the evil in the world.
–> Richard Swinburne - suffering can be beneficial, humans need to experience pail to inform natural decisions making.

Logically coherent
- If end result is reaching God + closing epistemic distance how can philosophers maintain that humanity possesses free-will

Plausible in modern age
- Is idea of eschaton plausible in the modern age.

Discredits Jesus death on the cross
- discredits importance of Jesus death as atonement for sins. Jesus death has no significance for salvation.

Question 28

What is J.L. Mackie’s criticism of the idea of free-will?

Answer 28

In addition to God creating a world of good without free will, or a world with free will but evil, could create world with free will were everyone chooses good.
Argument
- Logically possible to choose to do good
- Logically possible to choose to do good in every situation
- Logically possible to do good through life
- God could have created a world were everyones genuinely free, but choose to do good.
- God did not create this world
- Either God is not omnipotent or now fully good

Question 29

Explain A.N. Whitehead’s process theodicy

Answer 29

20th Century
States God is not omnipotent
- God creates order out of pre-existing Chaos
- God is continually part of the unfolding creation
- When process is harmonious, produces good
- When process is disruptive, produces evil
- God tries to coax humanity into doing good, but does not have total control of us
- God suffers when world suffers through evil
- God is still responsible for good and evil
–> Creates stronger bond between God and humans

Question 30

What is D.Z. Phillips critique of theodicies? (relating to holocaust)

Answer 30

• Theodicies try to claim suffering + evil happen so we can appreciate Good more (e.g. Augustines Aesthetic principle)
• So say holocaust happened so an observer can grow is to say nothing of the people who died
• Adds a callousness itself which adds to totality of evil in the world