Problem Of Evil - Augustine Flashcards
Privatio boni - ex nihilo
God is the source of everything which according to Augustine, was created by God out of nothing
Privatio boni - Augustine and god’s love
He believed God’s love was incomprehensible and unchangeable, out of this love a God created us
Privatio boni
Augustine argued, as everything in the world was created by God then it was created good and perfect as God is supreme perfection and goodness.
Privatio boni - evil
As God created everything then evil can’t be a thing - thus at the time of creation everything was perfect.
Privatio boni - privation
There has been a privation of good (privatio boni) that is, evil being an absence of good. A privation is therefore falling short of things true in nature.
The origin of evil
- it is where there is free will.
- Evil is not a thing so they could not have chosen to do it.
The origin of evil - how did the privation occur?
Fallen angels led by lucifer as rebels against God and were cast out of heaven. Also Adam and Eve disobeying God were cast out of the garden of Eden. This misuse of free will disrupted the balance of God’s creation and led to the privation of the goodness in the world that we call evil.
The existence of suffering - moral evil
Humans disobeying God
The existence of suffering - natural evil
Is the consequence of moral due to fallen angels and humans corrupting the natural order of God’s creation, the disruption has prevented God’s creation from reaching it’s true nature.
The existence of suffering - why is evil necessary for everyone?
Everyone, including innocent babies were all seminally present in the loins of Adam.
The principle of Plentitude
There is much inequality and unfairness in the world. According to this principle, all the occurrences in nature, that we may regard as causing suffering to other creatures is not natural evil.
The principle of Plentitude - God creating a perfect world
God has created a perfect world as the diversity contributes to bringing about the perfection of the whole. Only God is capable of seeing the whole perspective of all things and therefore goodness as a whole.
Aesthetic argument
The world only appears evil when sections of it are considered in isolation from the whole. But in the context of final judgement, when evil will be punished, wrongs will be righted and God’s astonishing grace will prevail, the totality of creation is good.
Aesthetic argument - problem of perspective
The problem of evil is a problem of perspective. Humans by nature have a limited perspective, judging things pragmatically. From this point evil is reality.
