evil and suffering

Natural evil

• Suffering caused by nature

• Challenges God’s goodness

• Challenges God’s power

Moral evil

1. Caused by human choices

2. Linked to free will

3. Necessary consequence of freedom

Logical problem of evil

Associated with Epicurus and J.L Mackie

A PRIORI

1. God is omnipotent

2. God is omnibenevolent

3. Evil exists

Inconsistent triad

Quote by Hume in ‘Dialogues concerning natural religion’ recreating epicurus’ challenge

“Is he (God) willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he both able and willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then hence evil?”

Evidential problem of evil

Associated with William Rowe

A POSTERIORI

1. Focuses on quantity of suffering

2. Gratuitous suffering exists

3. Excessive suffering

Augustinian theodicy

St Augustine of Hippo

1. Evil is a privation - evil isnt an entity in itself, it is privation of good

2. The role of free will

3. The fall and original sin - humans are responsible

C.S. Lewis book + quote on evil and suffering

The problem of pain

“Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

Makes us less self-interested and helps remember god

The free will defence (original)

1. Free will is a greater good - necessary for meaningful love and moral responsibility and spiritual development

2. Moral evil comes from human choices

3. Removing evil removes freedom

J.L. Mackie book

Evil and omnipotence

J.L. Mackie

20th century Australian philosopher

Tries to argue FWD is flawed

1. God could create free people who always choose good

2. A loving God would make a world where everyone choose kindness

3. If God cannot create free people who always choose good, he is not omnipotent

Alvin Platinga book

God, freedom and evil

Alvin Platinga on FWD

20th century American Christian philosopher

Argues against Mackies rejection of FWD

1. Free creatures must have a spectrum of choices so must be able to choose evil

2. Free will is essential for our lives to have moral significance

3. God cant remove evil without destroying moral significance of human existence

Platinga on natural evil

Could potentially be the result of supernatural beings (demons) using their free will for evil

Or as punishment for original sin

Platinga quote

“Transworld depravity” - the idea that every possible free creature would choose evil at least once in any possible world Go could create

Soul making theodicy

John Hick - Christian oxford professor

Expanded on irenaean theodicy

1. Humans are created in God’s image but not his likeness - potential to become morally and spiritually perfect

2. Suffering helps humans move from bios to Zoe

3. Epistemic distance from God is necessary so freedom isnt compromised - evil wouldn’t exist in the presence of God

Hick book

Evil and the God of love

Hick quotes (2)

“Vale of soul-making”

Zoe - “represents the perfecting of a man””

Hick on excessive suffering

The randomness and uneven distribution of suffering helps preserve a religiously ambiguous world, as epistemic distance is necessary for genuine moral freedom

Process theodicy

David Griffin - 20th century American theologian

1. God is not omnipotent in the traditional sense

2. God persuades rather than controls

3. Natural evil results from independent processes

What type of view does griffin have of the universe?

Panentheistic

Griffin book

God, power and evil

Griffin quotes (2)

God is the “fellow sufferer who understands”

“Roth finds my God too small to evoke worship; I find his too gross”