The problem of evil and suffering Flashcards
What are 2 types of evil?
Natural and Moral evil.
What is Natural evil?
Evil caused in other ways e.g. suffering caused by earthquakes.
What is Moral evil?
Evil caused by moral agents through choice,therefore human actions e.g. murder.
What do Monists believe about the nature of evil?
There is no evil, they say the universe is a single harmonious unity that is good and so evil is a mere illusion in our minds.
What do Zoroastrianism (dualist) believe about the nature of evil and suffering?
Assumes that the universe is a battlefield on which the principle of good and principle of evil fight for supremacy until the end of time.
What does Leibniz believe about the nature of evil and suffering?
The world is the best possible world, because God couldn’t create it any other way. Therefore evil is a mere illusion, it cannot have any reality in such a world.
What is the Story of Job?
TBA
What does the suffering servant analogy mean?
You don’t deserve to suffer, but you suffer and do not lose your faith.
The problem and suffering is what of Atheism?
The rock of atheism said by David hume
Why do Atheist believe the problem of evil and suffering is the rock of atheism?
If God is all the omni characteristics then God must want to abolish evil and suffering, suffering exist therefore God is not all the omni characteristics
What are A02 points for Why atheists believe the problem of evil and suffering is the rock of atheism?
1) Free will
Test of faith
Evil is an illusion (Buddists and Monists)
What are the 2 problems of evil?
Logical evil
Evidental evil
What does Logical evil mean?
The mere existence of evil is logically, incompatabile with the existence of an all loving all powerful god.
What does Evidential evil mean?
The amount of evil that exists is imcompatiable with the existence of an all loving, all powerful God.
Who coined the inconsistent triad?
Mackie
What is Mackie’s inconsistent triad?
There are 3 propositions composing the problem of evil
a God’s omnipotence, b God’s omnibenelovence and C God exists. If God is ominpotent then he is aware of the existing evil and suffering and so he knows how to put it to a stop. If he is omnibenevolent he would want to stop it.All these statements cannot be simultaneously true. The effects and scope of evil is so tangible that it seems non senscial to refuse it exists. To resolve the triad one of the statements must be removed.
What is a theodicy?
Is an attempt to answer the question of why a Good God permits the manifestation of evil.
What does Aquinas believe about the solution to evil and suffering?
He argues that God allows evil to exist as part of his greater plan of love. Therefore there is no logical contradiction in God being all the omni’s, as he has a reason.
What is A02 against Aquinas?
Hume and Mackie
What story can support Aquinas?
Story of Job
What Book did Augustine of Hippo write about his theodicy?
Book of confessions
Is the Augustinian theodicy soul deciding or making?
Soul deciding
What does Augustine describe evil as?
As a privation of goodness, just as blindness is a privation of sight ( loss or an absence of quality)
What is the Augustinian theodicy?
God is good and created this world perfectly good. It is not possible for God to be responsible for evil since evil is not a substance but a privation of Good. Evil didn’t come from God the free will of angels and humans who have chosen to turn away from God. ( Fall of man lead to Adam and eve breaking God’s commands. Evil in this Postlapsarian world and suffering come from the ioins of adam and is a punishment for human sin,
What does Postlapsarian mean?
Existing after the fall of man
What are 4 strengths of the Augustinian theodicy?
1) Rational that humans have free will because it is more genuine to have a relationship with God that isn’t controlled like robots.
2) This theodicy is compatible with Christianity as it lies in the story of genesis.
3) Explains the problem of suffering.
4) Augustine’s theory recognises the saving poer of Jesus christ and therefore provides motivation for man to act morally.
What are 4 the weaknesses of the Augustinian theodicy?
1) Schleiremacher says that it is a logical contradiction for a perfectly good world to go wrong, since this implies evil was created by itself (ex-nilho). (this implies god made the world go wrong or the world isn’t perfect at the start)
2) It is inconsistent with the theory of evolution (we cannot be biologically seminaly present in Adam, also is good jusitified for allowing us to suffer)
3) Why design hell if evil was not part of the design (did God know people would go there)
4) If humans were able to choose evil then it must have existed in the first place.
Is the Ireanauen theodicy a soul making or soul deciding theodicy?
A soul making theodicy
What is the Irenaean theodicy?
God deliberately created an imperfect world so that through trial and adversity, we develop into perfect beings. Evil and suffering is apart of God’s plan. Humans are created with the intention to develop with free will. Meaning God gave humans the right to choose their path.We are a distance from God (epistemic distance) meaning we have space to believe in God or not). We will all go to heaven, but some will continue developing in soul making journey after death.
So Ireaneaun believes the world was created imperfectly but what does Augustine believe?
The world was created perfectly.
What are 4 strengths of the Ireanaeun Theodicy?
1) It is rational because the concept of humans progressing fits in with evolution.
2) Ireaneuan theodicy allows for humanity to recognize the value of a relationship with God, If God’s love was freely, his love will be less valued
3) Avoids the issue of a perfect creation turning away from God whilst also allowing free will.
4) The existence of evil provides humans with a Goal ( reward of Heaven justifies the extremity)
What are 4 weaknesses of the Ireanuean theodicy?
1) Some people do not benefit from suffering (baby disabled.
2) Creates logical problems, as it is unjust to allow everyone to go heaven as extreme moral actions are not punished
3) It can cause people to lose their faith.
4) Allowing evil can never be an expression of Love according to D.Z philiphs.
Who is the person who took the Irenaean theodicy further?
John hick
What is John Hick’s further development?
Humans could not have be made perfect as they would have the ‘goodness of robots’
God has to create a epidemic distance
If God constantly intereferd then humans could not develop ( counterfactual analysis)
What does Counterfactual analysis?
a comparison between what actually happened and what would have happened in the absence of the intervention.
What is strengths of Hick’s development?
1) Stresses the importance and life on earth
What is a Weakness of Hick’s development?
Some people suffer so little in comparison to others suggesting people can develop in other ways.
What is Process theodicy?
D.R Griffin - states that God is not omnipotent, he didn;t create the universe, the universe is a continous process, which God is apart of, he works with the forces of nature to maximise the amont of good over evil. The universe is a never ending cycle, sometimes it produces good and sometimes produces evil. Whitehead describes God as the fellow sufferer who understands, he doesn’t have total control.
What are 3 strengths of Process theodicy?
1) Many people feel that a God that suffers alongside his creation is a Good you can have a more meaningful relationship with.
2) Fits in with evolution as God is developing what is already there to become better
3) Only one that overcomes Mackie’s inconsistent triad
What are 3 weakness of Process theodicy
1) It brings the question whether such a limited God is being worthy of worship
2) It contradicts the scriptural account of the creation
3) It is ellist ( many suffer but only a few gain any benefit.
Who is the supporter of the free will defense?
Richard swinburne
What is the free will defense?
Similar to the ireanuean theodicy, the world is a logically necessary place to allow people to develop and make their own choices. God cannot intervene to stop suffering because this would jeopardize development and take away responsibility. Death is necessary to force humans to take responsibility. ‘If there is always a second chance there is no risk.’
What are 2 strengths of the free will defense?
1) We would assume usually a world with free will is better than a world of robots
2) Seems to explain moral evil.
What are 2 weaknesses of the Free will defense?
1) Not everyone. e.g. enslaved as the the chance to exercise free will.
2) Some argue God could have created a world without bringing evil and suffering because if there was no evil we wouldn’t know that we had free will.
