SET TEXT Unit 3 Mackie evil and omnipotence

Question 1

What is Mackie’s deductive argument about evil?

Answer 1

1. God is opposed to evil, such that he will eliminate it wherever possible
2. There’s no limit to an omnipotent being’s power

Question 2

What is the logical problem of evil?

Answer 2

God can’t be:
- omnipotent
- benevolent
And there evil exist, logically impossible

Inconsistent triad

Question 3

What do the adequate solutions argue?

Answer 3

Despite suggesting that many theists don’t consistently follow through with the implications of these responses, Mackie does note that there are adequate solutions:
- evil is an illusion (hindus and buddists)
- evil is a privation of good (augustine)

Question 4

How plausible does Mackie perceive the adequate solutions as?

Answer 4

• Not particularly, those who actually hold these beiefs are guilty of inconsistency. When they practice religion in reality they assert the proposition that God is omnipotent. But these solutions sacrifice God’s true omnipotence

Question 5

What does Mackie mean by fallacious solutions?

Answer 5

• M argues these solutions say they retain their belief in God’s goodness and omnipotence, but they weaken these beliefs in order for their arguments to work. They skip between 2 different beliefs in order to cover up the fact that they are abandoning one of them

Question 6

What are the 4 falacious solutions?

Answer 6

1. Good cannot exist without evil/ evil is a necessary counterpart to good
2. Evil is necessary as a means to good
3. The universe is better with some evil in it
4. Evil is due to free will

Question 7

Explain the second fallacious solution

Answer 7

Evil is necessary as a means to good
* Slight variation of the first solution- rather than a counterpart to good, evil is a means to good (e.g volcano eruption can provide inspiration for people to do good)
* Opposes premise 2- implies God is subject to certain causal laws, namely good isn’t possible without evil. Since many theists want to argue that God is repsonsible for creating laws (and the universe) this restriction to God’s omnipotence is unacceptable

Question 8

Explain the third fallacious solution

Answer 8

Universe is better with evil
- Considers the view that first order evil (suffering and pain) might be more compensated by second order good (sympathy), as it reduces suffering in and progress in that struggle
- (Iranean theodicy) puts foward the concept of second- order, which arises from situations where both first order good and evil exists.
- Also suggests that it is possible to consider God’s goodness as third-order good

Question 9

What are mackie’s objections to his third fallacious solution?

Answer 9

• God isn’t presented as benevolent- is not concerned with minimising evil but only promoting good
• Mackie responds that for any second order good we can also find second order evils (cruelty increases in pain and suffering)- leading to an infinite cycle of higher level goods and evils

Question 10

Explain the 4th fallacious solution?

Answer 10

Evil is due to human free will
* Like no. 3 calls for higher order good, which is free will, to explain existence of evil
* Free will defense says that moral evil we see in the world is the result of human beings having freedom to be both morally good and bad. And that is greater good that this freedom exists than if we were simply designed to always do the best thing
* God chose human freedom as first order good

Question 11

Why does Mackie object to the 4th fallacious solution?

Answer 11

Evil is due to human free will
* There is a possibility for God to create human beings that act freely but always do right
* It is possible to conceive of a world where everyone is free and good, it is also possible that God should be able to make such a reality without creating arbitrary bad human actions

Question 12

How does Mackie present the ‘paradox of omnipotence’?

Answer 12

• Paints a paradox when we assert various elements of Gods omnipotence
• However, if God can create human beings with such freedom that he cannot control them then God has the ability to bind himself and so at some point lacks omnipotence

Question 13

What are Mackie’s conclusions?

Answer 13

• Unless severe restrictions are made to God’s power or benevolence, or we accept that evil is an illusion, there are no valid replies to the logical problem of evil
  THE GOCT CANNOT LOGICALLY EXIST

Question 14

How could someone respond to Mackie?

Answer 14

• Could religious believers have an extra dimension of experience than athiests (blik)?
• Is logic the fundamental way of knowing/ understanding?
• What about faith as a way of knowing?
• Is it the same conception of free will and omnipotence that believers have?