PROBLEM OF EVIL AND SUFFERING

Question 1

What is moral evil?

Answer 1

evils that exist due to humans free will used to do wrong or sinful actions

Question 2

What is natural evil?

Answer 2

evils that come from nature or natural resources

Question 3

What is the logical problem of evil? (inconsistent triad)

Answer 3

god cannot be all-loving and all-powerful while evil still exists
- if god is omnipotent he is able to stop all evil but still hasn’t
- if god is all-loving he wouldn’t want evil to exist or harm his people yet it still does
- Do we have an evil god?

Question 4

Who is associated with the logical problem of evil?

Answer 4

Epicurus (classical version) and modern philosophers like J.L. Mackie

Question 5

Evidential problem of evil

Answer 5

it is evidentially a problem because it is seen in the real world through peoples suffering - a posteriori argument
- the quantity of innocent people loosing their lives or getting hurt through - tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural disasters
- the pointlessness of the existence of evil - it serves no purpose

Question 6

What is a theodicy

Answer 6

A justification of God’s goodness and omnipotence in the face of evil and suffering.

Question 7

What are some criticisms to these arguments?
St Augustine
Hume
Free Will Defence

Answer 7

• St Augustine: The Fall caused evil to enter the world and corrupted the perfect world god created for us
• Hume: evil helps us in the process of soul making. It is the process of of making yourself from the image of god to the likeness of god in order to get closer to god and go to heaven
• Free Will defence: logically impossible for god to get rid of evil while letting us have free will