problem of evil Flashcards
(6 cards)
what is the logical problem of evil
The logical problem of evil is an a posteriori deductive argument against the existence of God which suggests that the existence of evil makes the concept of God impossible and therefore He cannot exist.This is a deductive arguement
Outline Plantingas free will defence
A world containing creatures that are significantly free is better than a world containing no free creatures.
God can create significantly free creatures.
To be significantly free is to be capable of both moral good and moral evil.
If significantly free creatures were caused to do only what is right, they would not be free.
Therefore, God cannot cause significantly free creatures to do only what is right.
Therefore, God can only eliminate the moral evil done by significantly free creatures by eliminating the greater good of significantly free creatures.
The conclusion is not defended as true, but as possible. If it is possible, then the existence of evil is logically consistent with the existence of God.
It is possible that Satan exists, and that natural evil is the effects of his actions, so natural evil is a form or consequence of moral evil.
Therefore, it is possible that God can only eliminate natural evil by eliminating the greater good of significantly free creatures.
outine how plantingas free will defense deals with the porblme of evil
The Free Will Defence challenges the Logical Problem of evil because the logical problem focuses on the incompatibility with the existence with God and the existence of evil. By saying that God cannot remove evil without removing the greater good of free will is to suggest that allowing for evil is compatible with God because God has the means and desire to without Him having to have done so – as removing free will would be a worse evil.
Outline what is meant by compatibilism in free will?
Compatibilism is the view that free will and determinism are compatible with one another, and one does not make the other impossible. An example of this is Midgley’s view that free will is rational and you are constantly being acted upon by other’s actions and constraints, etc.
what is the evidential porblme of evil
The amount and distribution of evil that exists is good evidence that God does not exist. Given evil as we experience it, it is not impossible that God exists.However, it is not reasonable to believe that God exists.
This inductive arguement
Outline hicks soul making theodicy
Hick’s Vale of Soul Making argument suggests that humans are still in development, as we have gone through the process of becoming in the image of God but are still learning to be in the likeness of God. For this, we must learn to choose genuine goodness and love, which means suffering is a necessary part of our development as we must respond to it authentically.
This also means God must remain at an epistemic distance from us in order to avoid coercion. This deals with the evidential problem of evil as it gives a reasonable account of the amount and distribution of both moral and natural evil as not coming directly from God but also why he can exist reasonably without intervening.
