Anthology 2 - JL Mackie (problem of evil)

Question 1

what inconsistency of parts of theological doctrine means for theologians

Answer 1

must be prepared to believe not merely what cannot be proved, but what can be disproved from other beliefs they also hold

Question 2

what type of problem the problem of evil presented is

Answer 2

logical problem - only applies for someone who believes in an omnipotent and wholly good god - not scientific or practical, cannot be solved by further observation of an action

Question 3

additional premises to demonstrate the contradiction

Answer 3

good is opposed to evil in such a way that a good thing always eliminates evil as far as it can; no limits to what an omnipotent thing can do - follows that an omnipotent good completely eliminates all evil

Question 4

‘adequate’ solutions

Answer 4

reject either god’s omnipotence or that he is wholly good, so the problem doesn’t arise - eg restrict meaning of ‘omnipotence’, say evil is an illusion - Alexander Pope ‘disorder is harmony not understood’

Question 5

issue with adequate solutions

Answer 5

often only almost adopted - temporarily reject propositions and covertly re-assert them elsewhere - eg restrict god’s power but keep term ‘omnipotence’ so likely believe in other contexts his power really is unlimited; believe evil nonexistent as is a privation of good, but believe the privation is an evil

Question 6

fallacious solutions

Answer 6

explicitly maintain all constituent propositions, but implicitly reject at least one of them in course of argument that explains away problem

Question 7

general form of fallacious arguments

Answer 7

constituent proposition given up, but in such a way it appears to have been retained so can be asserted without qualification in other contexts - sometimes moves to and fro between two of the propositions, often turn upon equivocation

Question 8

fallacious solution ‘good cannot exist without evil / evil is necessary counterpart to good’: limits god

Answer 8

says he cannot create good without simultaneously creating evil, meaning either not omnipotent, or there are limits on what an omnipotent thing can do - even if take omnipotence to apply only to logical possibility, many theists hold logic is created or laid down by god which is inconsistent with view god bound by logical necessity and turns to paradox of omnipotence

Question 9

fallacious solution ‘good cannot exist without evil / evil is necessary counterpart to good’: denies evil is opposed to good in our original sense