Problem of Evil

Question 1

What is moral evil?

Answer 1

Evil and suffering which results from intentional actions by humans
Eg. Neglect, murder, crime done

Question 2

What is Natural evil?

Answer 2

Evil and suffering that isn’t caused by the action of humans, but natural processes
Eg. Earthquakes, tsumanis, animal suffering

Question 3

What is the logical problem of evil?

Outline

Answer 3

Argues against the existence of an omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent God
Claims the existence of one is incompatible with the existence of evil
Mackie -Believers hold onto a inconsistent set of beliefs: God is omnipotent, good, and that evil exists. Can’t all be true as its contradictary

Question 4

What is the logical problem of evil?

Ps and Cs

Answer 4

P1-God is omnipotent, supremely good, omniscient
P2-An omnipotent God can eliminate evil completely
P3-Supremely good wishes to get rid of all evil
P4-Omniscient being knows evil exists
C1. Therefore if God exists, he will get rid of it completely
P5- Evil exists
C2- Therefore God with these attributes doesn’t exist

Question 5

What is Plantingas free will defence?

Outline

Answer 5

Disagrees with C1 of logical problem
Claims the reason why God allows evil is due to free will
In order to solve logical problem of evil, we must show how evil is consistent with God’s existence

Question 6

Plantingas free will defence

Ps and Cs

Answer 6

P1-God (all attributes) can create significantly free agents, but he cannot cause them to do whats morally right
P2- A world with significantly free agents is better than a world without sig free agents at all
C1- Therefore God created a world where significantly free creatures exist and can do morally right/wrong actions
C2- Therefore existence of evil is compatible with God (all attributes)

Question 7

What is the evidential problem of evil

Answer 7

Aims to show that the belief in God (all attributes) is unreasonable given our experience of evil
Argues the large amount, distribution, and kind of evil is good evidence for thinking that God doesn’t exist
Eg. Wars, ethnic cleansing, death of innocents natural distasters, animal sufferings are all examples of evil that a God will all attributes would eliminate
Although evidental problem accepts that without evil, we wont have free will or virtues, it questions whether all of these evils are necessary for free will and virtue

Question 8

Hume Soul making theodicy

Answer 8

Argues the existence of evil is necessary for us to grow morally and spiritually as humans
Such virtuous development is impossible without evil to respond to/ correct (eg no courage without danger, no forgiveness without wrongdoing)
Through these sufferings we develop. The world can be understood as a place of soul making

God seeks our development of virtues which requires suffering. The virtues we achieve through development are greater than the qualities of someone simply created good