Philosophy of Religion: Theodicies and Solutions to Evil

Outline Augustine’s Theodicy

Believed the Fall of Man led to Original Sin, passed on as it is ‘seminally present’ and so passed on by Adam.

What did Augustine argue about evil?

It doesn’t exist, it is merely ‘a privation of good’ or a lack of good.

Outline Plantinga’s Free Will defence

Says God gave humans free will and cannot interfere as we commit evil not him. Natural evil comes from free will of Satan or Adam and Eve, who brought it as punishment.

Why does Plantinga argue God gave us free will?

Our lives without it would have no value, and as such it is important.

Give a strength of Augustine’s Theodicy

It doesn’t attempt to argue we are all directly morally responsible for Adam and Eve’s actions, just that Original Sin is seminally present as punishment for Adam and Eve, and so is passed on.

Give a weakness of Augustine’s Theodicy

We are not at fault for the Fall of Man, why would a just God blame us?

Original Sin support in Doctrine?

It is considered ‘empirically viable’ by many theologists, and Augustine gave the example of aged 16 when he stole some pears with friends, not because he was hungry but because of the ‘pleasure of sinning’.

Scientific evidence against Original Sin

Geneticists have determined it is impossible for us to have all been descended from 2 people.

Outline Iranaeus’ theodicy

Viewed the Fall of Man as necessary for development of humanity towards perfection. Punishment aids children in doing the correct thing, after all. Evil motivates us to be good as we are spiritually immature.

Outline Hick’s Theodicy of 2 stages of development

2 stages of development:

• SPIRITUALLY IMMATURE: Can mature through struggle.

• GROW RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: Due to Epistemic distance we cannot ‘know’ God but we can obey and have faith.

Pain allows us to develop!!! We are BECOMING we aren’t already. World is a ‘vale of soul-making’.

Define Epistemic distance

We cannot know God.

What does Hick’s ‘Vale of Soul Making’ mean?

The world allows us to encounter challenges which will make us grow morally.

Give a weakness of Hick’s ‘Vale of Soul Making’

Distribution of evil is not aligned nor even. Many suffer more, many suffer less. Why? Not to mention purposeless natural evil, i.e., children dying of cancer.

Give a strength of the soul-making theodicy

The premise of us all being created as morally fully developed is illogical.

What does Mackie argue?

That a perfect God would create morally good people. If this happened, Adam and Eve wouldn’t disobey God, there would be no moral or natural evil, and nearly every theodicy collapses.

What does Mackie attack with his criticism?

Libertarian free will, or the ‘ability to do otherwise’.