Problem of Evil Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are the two different presentations of the problem of evil?
The logical problem and the evidential problem.
Which scholar’s theodicy is ‘soul-making’ and who’s is ‘soul-deciding’?
Soul-deciding = Augustine
Soul-making = Hick
What are the 3 key scholars who create theodicies in this topic suggesting why the problem of evil doesn’t exist?
Augustine (original sin), Plantinga (free will defence) and Hick (vale of soul-making).
What are the two types of evil?
Natural evil (tsunamis, earthquakes etc.) and Moral evil (rape, terrorist attacks, genocide etc.)
What is the logical problem of evil?
A problem first stated by Epicurus - Present I the inconsistent triad (created by Mackie).
God cannot be omnipotent and omnibenevolent whilst evil exists!
How does St. Augustine support God within the problems of the inconsistent triad?
Evil is a privation (absence) of goodness - “privatio boni”.
Evil does not exist as we think it odes, just like darkness is an absence of light, evil is an absence of good.
What is the evidential problem of evil?
A problem addressed by Hume - evil is evidentially a problem because it can be seen in the EVIDENCE of people’s suffering.
- The QUANTITY of innocent people suffering.
- The POINTLESSNESS of evil.
Why does God allow Natural Disasters?
What is William Rowe’s Fawn in the Forest example?
A fawn (baby deer) is trapped in a forest fire caused by a lightning strike. The fawn dies a slow and painful death over many days. This serves no apparent purpose and serves no ‘greater good’.
What is St Augustine’s theodicy?
A ‘soul-deciding’ theodicy.
Based on the breaking of the first covenant in Genesis resulting in the Fall and bringing about original sin and DISHARMONY IN NATURE (explaining why natural evil exists!).
However, God’s benevolence (by sending Jesus to earth) shows that humans have not been abandoned. “Christ died for our sins.”
What is a quote that Augustine says about why God needed to give humans free will (despite having omniscience)?
“A runaway horse is better than a stone.”
Free will means that you can choose to worship God, therefore giving your FAITH meaning!
State three strengths of St Augustine’s original sin/ soul-deciding theodicy:
+ Augustine’s theology is consistent with scripture, which Christians see as the infallible Word of God.
+ St Paul writes that “sin entered the world through one man” (referring to Adam).
+ Successful absolves God from blame.
+ Consistent with contemporary belief in Free Will - e.g. the criminal justice system assumes you have free will.
+ Emphasises the importance of Jesus.
How did Aquinas agree with and support Augustine’s theodicy?
Aquinas said that evil “is not something, but rather the privation of a good”.
He explained how it is about perspective e.g. a cat eating a mouse is not evil from the cat’s perspective, but entirely natural.
State three weaknesses of St Augustine’s original sin/ soul-deciding theodicy:
- It depends on a literalist understanding/ view of Genesis.
- Even if it is true, it is unfair to punish all the humanity for actions of two people. Clearly questions his omnibenevolence!
- Too pessimistic about human nature, how can babies be born sinful?!
What does John Hick say with regards to St Augustine’s belief that evil is a privation.
He said that evil is not a privation, but it has a purpose (creating perseverance).
What is a quote about the value of free will by Alvin Plantinga?
“A world containing creatures who are significantly free is more valuable… than a world containing no free creatures at all.”
What is Plantinga’s free will defence theodicy?
- It would be logically impossible for God to remove evil without also removing free will.
- The moral value of free will JUSTIFIES God permitting the existence of evil - life would be valueless without free will.
- Moral evil is explained by free will and Natural evil is explained by the free will of Adam/ Eve.
FREE WILL IS THE ‘GREATER GOOD’ THAT JUSTIFIES GOD PERMITTING EVIL AND SUFFERING.
What is Mackie’s criticisms of the Plantinga’s free will defence theodicy? (Quote)
How does Plantinga reject this?
He asked that “why could God not have made men such that they always freely choose the good?”
The fact he hasn’t means he is either not omnipotent (able) or omnibenevolent (wants to).
Plantinga says: this is not true free will!
Explain John Hick’s ‘Vale of Soul-making’ theodicy:
- Evil is instrumental: it provides a catalyst for spiritual growth and character development.
- Genesis 1 states that God said “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” IMAGO DEI.
- Free will means that we choose to have a relationship with God, despite our EPISTEMIC DISTANCE.
- Evil and suffering are the catalysts for our character development - our response to them develops our virtues, such as compassion and charity.
- Suffering is “instrumentally good” for our growth.
What does Romans 5 say about suffering?
“Suffering produces perseverance.”
What are the strengths of Hick’s vale of soul-making theodicy?
+ It is consistent with evolution and the idea of human development over time.
+ More optimistic that Augustine’s soul-deciding theodicy. Instead of saying that we are born sinful the focus is on ‘rising too perfect’ over our lifetimes.
+ Hick’s universalism is consistent with belief of God’s omnibenevolence - the idea that everyone’s soul will ultimately be perfected and will enter heaven.
What are the weaknesses of Hick’s vale of soul-making theodicy?
- It cannot explain pointless evil and suffering - for example Rowe’s ‘fawn in the forest’ example. This has no ‘instrumental’ value!
- If God was omnipotent and omnibenevolent, surely He could have created a better catalyst for character development - rather than suffering?
What does D.Z. Philips say about Hick’s ‘vale of soul-making’ theodicy?
Who else famously adds to this?
D.Z. Philips said that “we cannot speak of moral growth in this way” - we cannot justify the existence of horrendous evils such as the Holocaust dung WW2 by saying that we need them in order to grow.
Same problem address by Stephen Fry when questioning “Bone cancer in children?”
What did Rabbi Sacks say about the holocaust?
He argues that without struggle, the Jews wouldn’t be who they are today.
“Loss teaches us to value things.”
Without evil/ free will how did Swinburne describe our lives? (Quote)
Like a “toy world” without any “real harm”.
