The Problems of Evil V2

Question 1

What is Epicurus’s argument for the problem of evil

Answer 1

If God is willing to prevent evil but not able, then He is not omnipotent.
If God is able to prevent evil but not willing, then He is not benevolent.
If God is both able and willing to prevent evil, then why does evil exist?

If an omnipotent and omnibenevolent deity exists, why is there suffering and evil in the world? His argument highlights a logical inconsistency

Question 2

“What is David Hume’s argument regarding the problem of evil, and how does it critique the existence of God?”

Answer 2

Argument from Design: Hume questioned the analogy between the universe and human-made objects, arguing that the universe’s complexity doesn’t necessarily imply a designer like God.

Critique of the Cosmological Argument: He challenged the idea of a necessary first cause, suggesting that the universe could be eternal or self-existent, without needing God as a cause.

Problem of Evil: Hume highlighted the contradiction between the existence of an all-powerful, benevolent God and the presence of evil and suffering in the world.l deity, rather than by trying to reconcile such a deity with the presence of evil.

Question 3

What is teleological argument for the existence of God

Answer 3

The teleological argument suggests that the complexity, order, and purpose in the universe point to the existence of an intelligent designer, often identified as God. William Paley’s watchmaker analogy is a key example, comparing the universe’s design to that of a watch, which requires a maker. Critics argue that evolutionary theory, natural imperfections, and alternative explanations like the anthropic principle challenge the need for a divine designer.

Question 4

What is ontological argument for the existence of God

Answer 4

asserts God, being defined as most great or perfect, must exist since a God who exists is greater than a God who does not.

Question 5

What is moral argument for the existence of God

Answer 5

based on the experience of morality - using the apparent evidence of moral obligation between individuals to justify the existence of a powerful figure who provides a framework for that moral obligation and purpose.

Question 6

What is experimental arguement for the existence of God

Answer 6

based on religious experiences

Question 7

What are the omni attributes of God

Answer 7

Omniscient
Omnipotent
Omnibenevolent
Omnitemporal
Omnipresent

Question 8

Omniscient

Answer 8

All knowing

Question 9

Omnipotent

Answer 9

All powerful

Question 10

Omnibenevolent

Answer 10

Possessing Perfect goodness

Question 11

Omnitemporal

Answer 11

Existing in all places

Question 12

Omnipresent

Answer 12

Existing at all times

Question 13

If God is omniscient (all knowing), omnibenevolent (completely good), omnipresent (always present) and omnipotent (all powerful), how do we explain the existence of utterly gratuitous evil and suffering in the world?

Answer 13

Soul Making Theory
Free Will defense

Question 14

What is the Free Will defense

Answer 14

God created free beings to maximize goodness.
Freedom includes the choice to do evil, which some people exercise.
This defense addresses moral evil specifically.

Question 15

What is the Soul Making Theory

Answer 15

Proposed by Irenaeus.
Evil exists so humans can develop their souls and become good, moral people.
Experiencing evil helps build resilience and character

Question 16

Atheism vs Agnosticism

Answer 16

An agnostic is someone who doubts it is possible to determine with certainty if a god exists, whereas an atheist is someone who rejects all belief in gods.

Question 17

What is a theodicy

Answer 17

An attempt to show that the existence of evil does not rule out the possibility of God’s existence.

Question 18

Why is there evil

Answer 18

World without Freedom: A world without freedom would be a worse world overall.
Problem of Evil: Addresses the challenge of reconciling the existence of evil with the existence of an all-powerful, all-good God.

Question 19

What is Thomas Aquinas First Way

Answer 19

Argument from Motion: Everything in motion must have been set in motion by something else, ultimately leading to an unmoved First Mover—God. (cosmological)

Question 20

What is Thomas Aquinas Second Way

Answer 20

Argument from Causation: Every effect has a cause, and there must be a First Cause that itself is uncaused—God. (cosmological)

Question 21

What is Thomas Aquinas Third Way

Answer 21

Argument from Contingency: Contingent beings exist, so there must be a Necessary Being that has always existed—God. (cosmological)

Question 22

What is Thomas Aquinas Fourth Way

Answer 22

Argument from Degrees: The varying degrees of perfection in the world imply the existence of an ultimate standard of perfection—God. (cosmological)

Question 23

What is Thomas Aquinas Fifth Way

Answer 23

Argument from Design (teleological): The order and purpose observed in nature suggest the guidance of an intelligent designer—God. (teleological)

Question 24

Limitations of the Cosmological argument (First four ways of Aquinas’s argument)

Answer 24

Don’t prove existence of specific god - not very useful for explaining of Abraham’s god
Don’t disapprove polytheism
Don’t prove existence of sentient god
Wrong in insistence of that there can’t be an infinite regress of everything - takes it as a given that there has to be a starting point for everything
Are self defeating - prove themselves wrong - if aquinas is right that everything needs a cause, then why cant others things be exempt from those rules like god (IF they can exist without God being responsible for them, then we don’t need God to establish things in the first place)

Question 25

What is cosmological argument

Answer 25

The cosmological argument is a philosophical and theological argument for the existence of God based on the existence and origin of the universe. It generally posits that everything that exists has a cause, and since the universe exists, it must also have a cause. This cause, it argues, must be an uncaused, necessary being that is often identified as God.

Question 26

Who is Phillip Zimbardo

Answer 26

Philip Zimbardo is a renowned American psychologist best known for his research on how social situations influence behavior, particularly through the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Question 27

What Did Zimbardo Do?

Answer 27

Zimbardo conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971, where college students were assigned roles as guards or prisoners in a simulated prison. The study revealed how quickly individuals adopt abusive behaviors in oppressive environments, leading to its early termination after six days.