Problem of evil Flashcards
What is moral evil?
Pain and suffering brought about by the deliberate actions or neglect of human beings. e.g. the deaths of 400,000 people brought about by the use of atomic bombs in Japan
What is natural evil?
Pain and suffering not brought about by any human beings and instead by natural processes/events. e.g. the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia which caused the deaths of 175,000 people
Explain the logical problem of evil
The logical problem of evil is an argument developed by J.L Mackie to show that belief in God (of classical theism) is inconsistent.
P1: God is omnipotent, wholly good and omniscient.
P2: An omnipotent being could eliminate evil
P3: A wholly good being would want to eliminate evil
P4: An omniscient being knows that evil exists and would know how to eliminate evil
P5: Evil exists
C: Therefore, God is either not omnipotent, wholly good or omniscient, so the God of classical theism does not exist
Explain the evidential problem of evil
P1: God might have a morally sufficient reason for allowing some forms of evil to occur: to ensure some greater good or to prevent something worse happening, for example.
P2: However, there exists instances of such intense dysteleological suffering which an omnipotent, omniscient being could have prevented without losing some greater good or permitting evil equally bad or worse (e.g. a deer dying painfully in a remote forest fire)
P3: An omniscient, wholly good being would prevent the occurrence of any intense, dysteleological suffering it could.
C: Therefore, it is unlikely that an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good being exists.
Explain (Plantinga’s) free will defence
The free will defence is an argument put forward by Alvin Plantinga as a possible explanation for why suffering occurs.
P1: A world containing sufficiently free creatures is better than a world without such creatures
C1: Therefore, if God creates a world, it must be a world with significantly free creatures
P2: If a world contains significantly free creatures, then moral evil is possible in that world
C2: Therefore, if God creates a world, then it must be a world in which moral evil is possible
C3: Therefore, the existence of moral evil is compatible with the existence of God.
Strengths of the free will defence
Explains moral evil
It is a defence, not a theodicy, meaning it does not say that this is the reason why God permits suffering, but it is a possible explanation
Logical problem of evil fails if there is any reason why GoCT can co-exist with suffering
Weaknesses of the free will defence
Does not account for natural evil (Plantinga may respond that natural evil is caused by the devil using his free will)
J.L. Mackie - why doesn’t God create humans who can only freely choose to do good? (this is not true free will)
Explain (Hick’s) soul making theodicy
Soul-making is a theodicy (explanation for why God permits suffering) attributed to John Hick.
P1: God, who is omniscient, omnipotent and wholly good, would want to create a world that will enable humans to fully develop morally and spiritually.
P2: Responding to pain and suffering enables humans to grow morally and spiritually - it is ‘soul-making’
P3: A world with pain and suffering is therefore a greater good than a world that is a safe, pleasurable paradise
C: Therefore, it is not problematic that God permits suffering.
Strengths of the soul making theodicy
Can explain moral and natural evil
(some) suffering does give us an opportunity to develop
Weaknesses of soul making
Why does God allow natural evil (Hick might say that natural suffering is soul making)
Why does there need to be so much suffering (Hick - suffering is relative. If we remove terrible evils then ordinary evils become terrible)
Suffering doesn’t always lead to spiritual growth (Hick- suffering is a mystery. If we understood reasons behind suffering we might not have sympathy)
