Problem of Evil Flashcards
“Explain the nature of the problem of evil” (25) Give 4 main topic points (DONT INCLUDE THEODICIES)
1) Origin/Epicurus
2) Types of Evil
3) Inconsistant Triad
4) Free will defence
“Explain the nature of the problem of evil” (25) Explain Point 1 & 2 (origin/types)
Origin: POE originated from greek philosopher Epicurus, he said “is God willing to prevent Evil but not able to? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able but not willing, then he is malevolent”.
Types: Natural and moral. Natural caused by nature e.g. hurricanes and moral is caused by humanity e.g. murder
“Explain the nature of the problem of evil” (25) Explain point 3&4 (inconsistant triad/ Freewill defence)
3) Inconsistant Triad: Epicurus provided foundation, evil cannot exist where God is omnipotence and omnibenevolent. If he is these 2 then he can stop evil. God cannot exist where he is both of those and evil exists. , Therefore God doesn’t exist. J.r Mackie said it’s the ‘rock of atheism’
4) FWD: Ireneas and Augustine wrote on it. Their premise being God didnt create evil, he gave us free will and we caused it. He cannot intervene.
Who was St Augustine of Hippo? (Give all info needed for an intro)
North African Bishop. Believed the world was created supremely Good. Genesis 1:31 ‘God saw all that he had made, and behold it was good”. Believed God made world perfect and we caused Evil. Based his theory on 2 theories: privation of the good and fwd.
Explain Augustine’s privation of the Good theodicy? (point 1: privation of the good)
1: Privation of the good: God is perfect and the source of everything as he created world ex nihilo, and made it flawless. Goodness exists where things are in order and harmony. Evil couldn’t have existed as there wouldn’t have been order and harmony harmony is broken when some goodness is gone from an object. Goodness is the object missing hence why evil is a ‘privation of the good’. Links to the Aesthetic defence which states we cant see the bigger picture, only God can.
Explain Augustine’s privation of the Good theodicy? (Point 2: Free will theodicy).
Free will theodicy: Augustine: ‘i thought it better to believed that you had created no evil… rather than to believed the nature of evil, as i understood it, came from you”.
Free will is a gift from God and it allows us to have freedom similarly to God. In paradise Adam and Eve had it, the garden of Eden was in harmony however they chose to turn away from God and sin. (the fall) They chose to eat the fruit. Augustine said we should use our free will to cling to the changeless good.
Explain Augustine’s privation of the Good theodicy? (conclude)
Although free will can cause evil it can also cause great good. We chose a life of sin and God created us with the possibility to choose sin however evil stemmed from it.
Explain the theodicy of Irenaeus (25). Explain point 1: Intro
Theodicy = something proves that God can co-exist with evil and be omnipotent and omnibenevolent.
He said Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden as they were morally immature. His theory is a soul making theodicy as we “need to become like God”.
Explain the theodicy of Irenaeus (25). Explain point 2: Ireneas’ theodicy lol
He said God created the ‘necessary’ evil as it brings about greater good. He said evil is part of the bigger plan.
Since God said ‘let us make man in our image’. He said we were not complete and his plan was for us to complete the image. He said we chose evil (the fall) and although it makes our lives difficult it is beneficial to understand good. He believed we are all made in the partial image of God and its vital everyone should complete it.
Explain the theodicy of Irenaeus (25). Explain point 3 (Hick)
Hick made Ireneus’ work into a theodicy in his book ‘evil and the God of love’. He said evil came directly from God and we are spiritually and morally immature. He believed if perfect, we’d have no value and evil is important as we use free will to become perfect by learning of such evil.
God wants us to be perfect so he ceated a ‘vale of soul-making’ a perfect environment. He created evil for us to learn greater goods such as generosity. He called the process ‘soul making’. Everyone in heaven
Explain Augustine’s privation of the Good theodicy? (point 2.5 : cause of disharmony/hierachy)
The fall, when angels began turning their backs on God and giving into temptations. They become devils. The fall is the reason for disharmony. Augustine also said there was a hierachy of things which placed where he created every aspect of both physical(us) and spiritual (angels) life as if he didnt fulfil every aspect it would not be perfect.
Give 4 weaknesses of the Augustinian theodicy?
1) Plausibility: The theory is implausible as he took genesis literally and we’d have to believe in angels
2) Science: Science proves the world developed from evolution, how can the original world therefore be perfect?
3) How can imperfection stem from PERFECTION?
4) Adams sin; Is it fair/just to condemn us all for one decision when we all have free will.
Give 3 weaknesses of the Irenean theodicy?
1) Plausibility: It’s impossible for God to save us all when we all go to heaven as what we do in a lifetime deems tht
2) Injustice: Universal salvation is unjust
3) God is explicitly the cause of natural disaster, this contrasts with the idea of God being all loving.
