Question 1: Bayle's Skeptical Resolution of the Problem of Evil

Present the problem Bayle addresses (in the readings in Chapter 1) and his ‘skeptical resolution’ of it.

The orthodox view of God fails to explain evil in what three ways?

God is all-knowing, God is all-powerful, and God is all-good

What is the problem of evil for God being all-knowing?

God knows that evil exists and when it will happen

What is the problem of evil for God being all-powerful

He willed the existence of evil into the world and is capable of erasing it, yet he chooses not to

What is the problem of evil for God being all-good

God would not allow evil to exist or persist if he were truly all-good

What is the orthodox response to the problem of evil?

Evil is necessary to manifest God’s wisdom, justice, and mercy. God permits evil because he cannot prevent it without infringing on humans’ free will

Why does Bayle think the orthodox response fails in its explanation that evil is necessary to manifest God’s wisdom?

A truly omnipotent God would not require evil to demonstrate his attributes, as these qualities could exist independently of suffering.

Why does Bayle think the orthodox response fails in its explanation that evil is necessary to manifest God’s justice and mercy?

It implies that God needs sin in order to exercise justice and mercy, undermining his abilities

Why does Bayle think the orthodox response fails in its explanation that God permits evil because he cannot prevent it without infringing on humans’ free will?

An omnibenevolent God would not gift mankind free will if he knew that we would abuse it.

Bayle thinks that if God were to intervene, it would be an act of ____, and it would not change_________

Will, natural order of tingsthings

How might God manifest his wisdom without infringing on human’’ free will?

By making the right choice much more tempting than the wrong choice

If God were to intervene and save our lives or prevent suffering, even if it infringes on our free will….

we would thank him for it

What is the “Problem of Evil” that Bayke introduces?

Evil cannot exist in this world with our current understanding of God

Manichaeism claims that god is _______, but rejects that God is_____

supremely good, all-knowing and all-powerful

Manichaeism claims that human beings and the world are not solely the creation of God, but rather they are the result of what?

Both principles with elements of each

Why is Bayle attracted to Manichaeism?

Because if god is not all-knowing or all-powerful, then he is not on the hook for everything that we do, since he is not our sole creator

Bayle thinks that this theory (Manichaeism) is the best explanation for the existence of what?

Moral evil

Why does Bayle think that Manichaeism is supremely false and absurd?

Because if God is not all-knowing or all-powerful, then he is no longer God. Our understanding of God is contingent on these matters; without them, he becomes something else entirely.

What is Bayle’s “dilemma”?

If God exists, then evil cannot exist. Or if evil exists, then the Manichaeism hypothesis is correct, and God (conventionally understood) does not exist

If Bayle thinks that the Manichaeism hypothesis is incorrect, then why bring it up?

It serves to point out the gross inadequacy of our explanations for the existence of evil we has accepted up to this point

The Manichaeism hypoethses merely serves as an _______, and even of the________

indictment of our efforts, the possibility of finding an explanation

Bayle does not think that we can solve the problem of evil in a conventional way. This is due to what?.

The limits of human reason

What does Bayle mean by “the limits of human reason” prevent us from solving the problem of evil?

Humans are too weak and ignorant to understand something so beyond us as an omnipotent God

What is Bayle's “Skeptical Resolution” to the problem of evil?

He rejects the notion that we can ever understand the existence of both God and evil. We can understand that it is possible for them both to exist together, but we cannot fully comprehend why or how it is possible..

For Bayle, the real problem behind the “Problem of Evil” is what?

That we expect everything to be explicable to us. Rather, we have to make peace with the fact that some things will remain a mystery to our limited powers of reason.