The Problem of Evil Flashcards
Epicurus
If God is willing but not able to prevent evil? Then he isn’t omnipotent.
If God is able to prevent evil but not willing? Then he isn’t omnibenevolent.
If God is both able and willing, then why is there evil?
If God is neither able or willing, then why call him God?
Mackie’s development is Epicurus’ argument
Reformed the argument into the ‘inconsistent triad’ which held that the God is classical theism cannot exist if evil exist.
Logical problem of evil
Claims that it is logically impossible for both God and Evil to exist.
God could be omnipotent and omnibenevolent but not both.
How is the logical problem of evil an a posteriori argument?
References our existence of evil and drawing the conclusion not just that God and evil cannot co-exist, but since that evil does exist, God cannot
How is the logical problem a a priori argument?
It is a logical analysis of the definitions of the concepts ‘omnibenevolence’, ‘omnipotence’ and ‘evil’, without reference to experience.
What is the evidential problem of evil?
It is an inductive argument, regarding evil as evidence against Gods existence, evidence of evil in the world makes belief in God unjustified.
Hume
Empirical approach to the problem of evil:
1. Animal suffering: why shouldn’t nature be created such that animals feel less pain?
2. Creatures have limited abilities to ensure survival of happiness.
3. Why does nature have extremes which make survival and happiness more difficult?
4. Why doesn’t God intervene to prevent individual natural disasters?
Augustine’s theodicy
Humans have a natural predisposition to sin.
Augustine argues that evil doesn’t actually exist, it is merely the privation of good, meaning it is the absence of good eg, darkness doesn’t exist, it is the absence of light.
As humans fell away from God, we fell away from his goodness, resulting in what we mistakenly call evil.
What is D Z Phillips view on appreciating the good through our experience of evil?
D.Z. Phillips argued this is a callous and hateful way to view other’s suffering. what good came from the second world war that possibly allows so much suffering?
What is Augustine’s soul-deciding theodicy?
choice of the angels to reject god. the same with the fall of man. they rejected god and were punished with evil. augustine’s theodicy is described as a soul-deciding theodicy. we decide to obey god or not. evil is a test of faithfulness and goodness. he believed punishment continues for every generation of evil. it is either a result of sin or a punishment for evil.
Augustine and free will
to have a genuine love for god, we must freely choose him. augustine believed a world with evils from free will is better than a world without free will. this explanation for the reason for evil says it was not a choice of god.
How did JL Mackie oppose Augustine’s free will claim?
JL Mackie claimed that some people have free will and always choose the right thing, so why did god not make everyone this way? this is not logically possible, being free to only be good, but god’s omnipotence means he could have done so. we might say that this is not genuine love if we have to choose it and not have a second option.
Augustine’s flaw of true perfection
if creation were truly perfect, it would not go wrong. perfection entails not being able to become wrong. if god created hell as a place to send the wicked, then he didn’t just build imperfection into the world but made a place of suffering that in itself must be the opposite of good.
What did Irenaeus propose?
there is evil in the world to provide opportunities for people to choose and do good to develop goodness and character. we must reach towards divine likeness.
we are made in the image of god but must grow through life into his likeness.
Why does Irenaeus believe we need evil?
we would not know the need for goodness if we only knew good. things that are worthwhile are gained through difficulty, and then we see their value.
