theodicies and solutions Flashcards
what is a theodicy
a theodicy is an attempt to show evil does not rule out the possibility of a god.
define privation
the loss or absence of something e.g. the privation of goodness
what does Augustine argue
Augustine argues that evil is a privation. evil is therfor not an actual phenomenon it does not exist. for example, the veil of a disease is due to lack (privation) of good health.
for Augustine, privation is a result of the fall as recorded in Genesis 3, when human beings disobeyed God, causing original sin to enter the world and causes corruption in humans and the natural order.
what is a strength of Augustine’s argument
the strength includes the fact that it is consistent with classical theism. which holds that God is omnipotent, omnibenevolent and not responsible for evil.
also responsibility for evil is recognised but attributed to humans rather than God. finally free will is presented as the reason for suffering.
evil and suffering could be considered a price worth praying for freedom.
what are the weaknesses of augustines argument
weaknesses include gods omnipotence and omniscience. these seem to be challenged by the solution offered by Augustine.
the counterargument given is that perhaps God needed to create humans with free will in order for human beings to have the free choice to pursue a relationship with him
what did Irenaeus believe (part 1)
irenaeus believed that evil was the result of free will. humans had the choice to commit evil or do good. irenaeus believed that God gave humanity free will in order to achieve a particular purpose. he argued that this was to allow humans to develop moral and spiritual perfection- to develop to become truly in the image of God.
what did irenaeus believe (part 2)
irenaeus thought that having the choice between good and evil was essential for this perfection. if god made humans so that they could only ever choice what was good then their morality would be the result of coercion. if god intervened to stop evil then this freedom would be lost. if god created a world where there was no evil then good characteristics like courage and compassion would not be developed.
god therefor allowed free will that led to evil but that was just to do so because it allowed humans to have the opportunity for moral development. humans are responsible for evil b/c it is brought about thru their free will. ireneaus also argued that eternity in heaven would make up for the suffering humans experience on earth. in heaven all humans would achieve moral perfection.
what does Gottfried Leibniz believe
Leibniz posited a theory regarded the existence of suffering which is known as the theory of the best of all possible worlds. the argument goes as follows; God can conceive of infinite universes. only one of these universes can exist. god has a reason for doing what he does. therefor of possible worlds, he would choose the best one…. this world is the best possible world, despite the existence of suffering
what is process theodicy
it posits that the world is always changing, and that there is a natural order. Good occurs when the natural order works as it should. Evil occurs when there is a discord, as a result of human free will. it presents God as being part of the human world and therefore a fellow sufferer.
what is the issue with process theodicy
the issue is that this is not a traditional theodicy in the Gods omnipotence is limited. God is, in this method of thinking in a way responsible for the creation of evil. the question remains therefor does the good created here outweigh the evil?
define epistemic distance
epistemic difference- an argument by Hick that God created humans at a special distance from him so they could know God but not be so close they had no choice not to believe in him
what is John Hick soul making theodicy?
he worked on the ideas of irenaeus
hick believed that humans went through life in a process of moral development and moving towards perfection. the existence of Good and evil helps with this process; it helps humans develop good attributes and characteristics. for example experiencing the pain of others can help to develop empathy. hick calls this the process of ‘soul making’. he concedes that this process is rarely completed with one lifetime; so this must continue in the afterlife. he argues that this makes the existence of evil justified.
what is strength of hicks theory
the strength of this argument is that it places the responsibility with human beings rather than god, meaning that it works as a theodicy. we can confirm within our own experience that human beings have free will. it eases the experience of evil and suffering if there is a greater purpose.
what is the weaknesses of hicks theory
the process of soul making does not explain why it allows such extreme suffering, such as the death of a baby. it doesn’t explain why such a loving god wouldn’t give us longer than a human life to get better. also people such as Jesus were morally good before they experienced suffering so this is a contradiction
