The Problem of Evil Flashcards
What were Epicurus’ dates?
341-260BC
What did Epicurus say about evil in the world?
“Is God able to prevent evil and willing to? Then why is there evil?”
What does Epicurus’ problem highlight?
Issues for a religious believer?
What were JL Mackie’s dates?
1917-1981
What was Mackie’s ‘logical problem’?
If God is really omnipotent, that must mean he has control over ‘causal laws’. Thus, why does God not stop evil events?
The amount of evil in the world challenges (PoE)
the supposed goodness of the creator
Evil and suffering… (PoE)
is indiscriminative. Everyone can be affected.
What is the difference between moral evil and natural evil? (PoE)
Moral evils are caused by the free will of people, natural evils are caused by the natural world.
What is a theodicy?
Rational effort to explain how evil + God can co-exist.
What is Augustine’s theodicy?
God is the omnipotent creator.
Creation WAS harmonious.
Hierarchy of angels, man and animals.
Evil is a privation of goodness.
As we have free will, angels and humans fell from God.
Disharmony fell the fall, led to natural evil.
Free will is valuable as it makes us appreciate good more - aesthetic principle.
Augustine’s theodicy - Where did he get inspiration from?
Genesis 1-3, both literally and mythologically.
Augustine’s theodicy - What is evil?
An absence of goodness. McCabe - ‘not living up to expectations’
Augustine’s theodicy - Where does evil come from?
Evil comes from god as he causes everything, and allows us to have free will which leads to morally evil choices.
Augustine’s theodicy - Can people be totally evil?
No. To be evil we need to lack goodness, but as some point there must’ve been some form of goodness. If there was no good there would be nothing to corrupt.
Augustine’s theodicy - What was the ‘original sin’?
Adam and Eve eating from the forbidden tree.
Augustine’s theodicy - What are devils?
Fallen angels
Augustine’s theodicy - Who are we all seminally present in?
Adam, we all share his first sin.
Augustine’s theodicy - Why do we have free will?
We have free will as it is more valuable than being robots that just follow God.
Augustine’s theodicy - What is the AESTHETIC PRINCIPLE?
Contrast between good+evil shows the beauty of goodness.
Augustine’s theodicy - What are the criticisms?
If everything must've been good at some point, does that mean the Devil was once good? Hick - implausible for the modern man Existence of angels has to be accepted How are we present in Adam? How can a perfect world go wrong?
What is the Irenaean Theodicy?
God is the omnipotent creator.
Earth and us develop, from God’s “image” into his “likeness”
To develop there is natural evil to tempt us away to make judgement fairer
Epistemic distance between God and us grants us freedom - transcendence
We will all eventually be in God’s “likeness”
Irenaean Theodicy - What was taken literally?
The story of the fall
Irenaean Theodicy - Who was to blame for original evil?
The serpent
Irenaean Theodicy - God’s punishment is…
educative. We need to gain wisdom to become in his likeness
Irenaean Theodicy - Criticisms
Plausible?
Suffering still exists, conflict with benevolence.
Theodicies - conclusion
Important, addresses issues of evil
Free will is important
