Problem of Evil Flashcards
That which causes suffering, harm, or moral corruption
Evil
Evil that results from the actions or choices of moral agents
Moral evil
Evil that occurs due to natural processes, without direct human involvement
Natural Evil
Rowes term for extreme physical or emotional pain experienced by individuals or groups
Intense suffering
Suffering or evil that appears to serve no greater purpose or justification, often used in arguments against the existence of an All-good, all-powerful God
Gratuitous evil
A response to the problem of evil that argues evil exists because God gave humans the ability to choose
Free Will defence
Philosophical problem formulated by J.L. Mackie, stating that the following three cannot be true simultaneously: God is omnipotent; God is omnibenevolent; and the existence of evil
Inconsistent Triad
The idea, especially in Augustine’s theodicy, that evil is not a substance but rather a lack
Privation
Latin for “fortunate error”
Felix Culpa
A theological term referring to the human tendency to sin, often associated with desires that are contrary to reason or Gods will, stemming from original sin
Concupisence
The biblical event in which Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, leading to the introduction of sin and suffering into the world
The Fall
A philosophical or theological attempt to justify the existence of evil in a world governed by an all-powerful, all-good God
Theodicy
The doctrine that humanity inherits a sinful nature due to Adam and Eves disobedience, leading to a tendency toward sin and separation from God
Original sin
The idea (associated with Irenaeus and John Hick) that suffering and challenges are necessary for moral and spiritual growth)
Soul making
A perspective associated with Augustine, which holds that individuals must choose between good and evil, with their choices determining their eternal fate
Soul-deciding
The idea that God remains partially hidden from humans to allow them to make genuine free-will decisions about faith, rather than being coerced by overwhelming evidence of his existence
Epistemic distance
The argument that the existence of an all-powerful, all-good God is logically incompatible with the existence of evil
The Logical problem of evil
The argument that, while the existence of God and evil may not be logically contradictory, the sheer amount of evil in the world provide strong evidence against an all-good, all-powerful God
Evidential problem of evil
Hicks idea that all people will ultimately be saved and reconciled with God, regardless of their sins or beliefs in life
Universal salvation
“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?”
Epicurus (Logical problem of evil)
“Epicurus’s old questions are still unanswered: is he (God) willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence evil?”
Hume (Logical problem of Evil)
“God is omnipotent; God is wholly good: and yet evil exists. There seems to be some contradiction between these three propositions, so that if any two of them were true the third would be false”
J.L. mackie
“What makes horrendous evils so pernicious is their life-ruining potential, their power prima facie to degrade the individual by devouring the possibility of positive personal meaning in one swift gulp”
Marilyn McCord Adams (Evidential problem of evil)
Because the holocaust of the children bars an enormous portion of humans from making a decision about their eternal fate while maximising the suffering of children, the classic Christian ‘free will’ and ‘best of all possible worlds’ hypothesis are falsified”
Gregory St Paul (Evidential problem of evil)
