The Problem of Evil Flashcards
Where does the concept of the inconsistent triad originate?
In Epicurean thought
What is moral evil?
A morally negative event caused by the intentional actions of an agent.
What is natural evil?
An event that cannot be blamed on a conscious being as they would have to control the laws of nature.
What is the inconsistent triad?
The idea that the qualities of omnibenevolence, omnipotence and omniscience cannot exist together in the qualities of a God.
Basic outline of the argument
- God is Omniscient….he should be able to see all aspects of suffering ever going to occur
- God is Omnibenevolent…he should not wish this to happen
- God is Omnipotent…he should have the power to stop the suffering of humanity
Quote from Stephen Fry?
“It is utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean minded, stupid God who created a world which is so full of injustice and pain?”
What did Hume state about the inconsistent triad?
The God of classical theism can never be proven if it does not hold these qualities.
What is a theodicy?
An argument that explains the existence of evil in the world while allowing for the qualities of classical theism.
What is the personalist’s objection to the argument against God’s omnipotence?
That God is finite in power as he is everlasting but still within time, he can only act with the most possible power over that moment in time. (Held by most Protestants)
What is Hicke’s counter objection to the omnipotence argument?
That limited power contradicts biblical faith - this is not the God of classical theism.
What is the argument against God not being omnibenevolent?
Hicke - Evil is necessary for an individual to exist. Otherwise we would not be soul-making, just ‘pet animals’ in a cage.
Mackie - God cannot create wholly good people, it is logically impossible (eg. advancements in medicine). There is a distinction between higher and lower orders of evil and these create a balance of evil in the world that still allows for free will.
What does Hick add to Mackie’s argument (quote)?
“A wholly good person is a logical impossibility - a conjugation of words”…humans have an innate nature to be flawed and to grow from this.
What did Augustine say about the existence of evil?
Evil is merely a ‘privation of good’, an illusion that we mistakenly see as a presence rather than an absence of good. Like darkness is the absence of light.
What did Hick say about the Biblical nature of evil?
It is contradictory to biblical faith to believe evil does not exist. Eg. the origin of evil in the fall.
What does Christian Science say about the presence of evil?
We cannot see the bigger picture of evil and there is a greater good that we cannot realise.
How did J S Mill contradict the Personalist’s belief?
He saw that nature is what drives suffering not the omnipotence of God, who is in fact trying to save us from nature.
What are 2 objections to the traditional Christian position?
- God could have created wholly good people
- Evil is a long-term good
What are are the supports and issues with God creating fully good individuals?
a. Hick argues this would limit an individual’s free will.
b. Mackie says this is false, God could have created a world in which we always happen to choose good from out perspective. (quantum mechanics)
c. God is outside of our universe and so does not focus on the individuals but the bigger picture.
d. Hick responded saying this was merely a delusion and if we were to prove the existence of free will then the problem of evil would be solved.
How does Hick argue for evil as a greater good?
- the world is for soul-making, if we can only do good this is not possible.
- idea centres around the need for Judgement day, how can God send us to heaven or hell if we did not choose to act morally? (this is a Negative Theodicy)
Essential quotes from the Bible referencing evil?
Romans 5:12 - “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…”
Genesis 3:22-23 “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
Acts 17:31 “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. “
Outline the Iranean Theodicy.
- Humanity is immature and has an immense capacity for spiritual growth, we are not brought into the world perfect.
- We are in the process of being transformed into the ‘children of God’.
All acts of ‘goodness’ result from the presence of an imperfect world which we can choose to respond to in a moral or immoral way. We must therefore have free will, allowed for by the epistemic distance of our creator as we choose good instead of performing it for the sake of getting into heaven.
By living at a distance from God evil exists in the world and the world is not yet the ‘likeness’ of God.
What is the counterfactual hypothesis?
The act of looking at the potential alternative, if this does not exist then there is no counter explanation.
Quote from Mackie about omnipotence
“If God is really omnipotent, then he must have power over all ‘causal laws’”
What is the example of the Brothers Karamazov that exemplifies the problem of evil.
Examples of Children and animals being tortured/suffering - exploring why a loving God would allow this to happen
Define a theodicy
an attempt to reconcile the existence of an all-loving omnipotent God with the existence of evil
What part of Genesis does Augustine use in his explanation?
What do they show?
Genesis 3 and Romans 5
Genesis 3 shows
Suffering is a result of disharmony = Adam and Eve ate from the tree
Romans 5 talks about the nature of Sin and the salvation of Jesus
How does Augustine explain Natural evil with the Fall?
‘Fallen angels’ turn away from God and bring disharmony - this leads to natural evils, because of disharmony they cause in nature
How does Augustine explain moral evil with Genisis?
Garden of Eden characterized by a state of harmony. Suffering is a result of disharmony. Adam and Eve had a choice. They choose not to be in harmony with God. The cause of Moral Evil. We still today contain this sin because we are seminally descended from Adam and Eve.
How does Augstine posit the need for free will as an explanation for suffering?
Allowing evil to happen is a price worth paying for human freedom. It means God allows evil. No free will would remove all the good choices. Contrast between good and evil highlights beauty of goodness.
What are the 3 explanations Augustine uses for evil?
- Privation
- The Fall (moral evil then natural evil)
- Adam and Eve (destruction of the natural order)
- Free Will
Define the term soul-deciding
We choose to turn back to God and be moral. It allows for the judgement of our souls in line with ideas of free will.
What is the Evidential Problem of Evil
The version of the problem of evil that claims that God’s existence is improbable, given the existence of evil, especially suffering that seems pointless.
What is the Logical Problem of Evil
The version of the problem of evil that claims that God’s existence is logically impossible, given the existence of evil.
What is Nygren’s criticism of theodicies
It is impossible for human minds to grasp God and therefore the task of theodicy is pointless.
What is a quote from Dawkins that criticises Christianity as well as Augustine’s theodicy?
Augustine’s theodicy “condemns every child before it is born to inherit the sin of a remote ancestor”
What is Aristotles criticism of evil?
In order to be punished, individuals must have full knowledge and consent.
How does Plantagina excuse God’s evil?
It is always possible that God has a reason for allowing/permitting evil.
Define a soul making theodicy
Soul Making Theodicy (Irenaeus)
We are made in God’s image and develop into His likeness through the vale of soul making which requires the existence of suffering.
What are Hick’s 5 points?
(1) Epistemic Distance
(2) Original moral imperfection
(3) Vale of Soulmaking
(4) Continuing moral development in the intermediate state
(5) Universal Salvation
What is Aquinas’ definition of Natural Evil?
Makes the distinction that it is even from a human perspective, it is actually in fact just the natural world carrying out its purpose. This is an anthropocentrised view of the world.
Quote from C. S. Lewis about the problem of evil
” we are like blocks of stone out of which the sculptor carves the forms of man” though they “hurt us so much” they “are what make up perfect.”
How is the image of God in theism maybe the only issue?
We assume that God has certain divine attributes but this may not really be the case.
What are the logical issues with evil?
Gods attributed and evil
What are the evidential issues of evil?
Evidence of evil in the world
What are the premises of Hume’s argument for evil being logical issue for God?
- God is omnipotent (or)
- God is not all loving (or)
- Evil does not exist
To much evil to deny that it exists therefore God must be impotent or malicious.
What are the premises of Hume’s argument for evil being logical issue for God?
- God is omnipotent (or)
- God is not all loving (or)
- Evil does not exist
To much evil to deny that it exists therefore God must be impotent or malicious.
mary eddie quote abut evil not existinggod is used as a smokescreen
8:00
“science evil and suffering don’t exist they are a construct of our mind”
(founder of Christian science)
Bertrand Russel Quote
“God is used as a smokescreen, evil is just a brute fact of life”
How does Aristotle’s PM become more compatible with the idea of evil?
“The PM is quite indifferent to suffering”…if it is unchanging it therefore cannot interact or this would affect its perfection etc
What does the term Dikaios mean?
Justification
What is the hierarchy of being?
- the idea that God gave more being to some than others and was able to do this because they are the supreme form of being
- humans have more of God in us
- Link to Genesis
Quote from Augustine about why humans are punished today?
“All evil is either sin or a punishment for sin”
Therefore God is not responsible for moral and natural evil.
What is a privatio boni
a privation of good
What are the main criticisms for Augustine’s theodicy?
- evolution, this does not fit with the creation story so we cannot be linked to Adam and Eve
- should we really suffer for the Fall? that isnt very omnibenevolent…why would God not change the plan to be more loving?
- God would have also seen this outcome…not omniscient?
- Why would God make Hell if he had not anticipated needing it?
- Schleiemacher…a perfectly created world shouldn’t go wrong? Either a. the world was not perfect or b. God allowed it to go wrong
What is Hick’s adaption of Iranaeus’ theodicy?
- Humans are not perfect (soul-making etc)
- This came from Genesis 1:26
1: Image - spiritually immature, the struggles of evolution are to mature our spirituality
- ‘image’ of God not in ‘likeness’
- free will allows for suffering but is necessary
- free will is valued more if we can see the consequences (eg. we would not praise life if we lived in a world without death)
2: Likeness
- we grow into a relationship with God
Humans have the choice whether to believe in god or not due to epistemic distance.
Hick believes the whole world will be saved and we all grow in purgatory…but this salvation should be earned.
What passage of Genesis does Hick refer to and what is the quote?
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” Genesis 1:26
What does Hick call this world?
The vale of soul making
What are the aspects Hick took from Irenaeus?
- Blames the Fall but focuses in on the serpent
- Adam and Eve did not have sufficient wisdom
- Punishment is important for boundaries (but to this extent?)
- all will be saved, but the damned will be sent to hell as they refused the ‘workmanship’ of God
- “Your ingratitude ignoring his goodness in creating you human will mean you have lost his work on you you will lose your life ( Against Heresies 4:39-2)”
What is the example that Irenaeus gives in chapter 4 of Against Heresies?
The potter must have the clay remain wet as when it becomes dry it can no longer be used.
God=potter
Humans=clay
We must remain open to God in order to achieve spiritual perfection
