augustine

God did not create evil

• augustine had a dualistic view of the world: forces of good and evil.

• after converting to christianity, he rejected this view, seeing God as supreme.

• augustine dismissed the idea of God directly creating evil.

• introduced "privatio boni" - evil as the absence of good, not a separate force.

• evil, according to augustine, is a falling away from goodness.

• likened evil to a shadow when one moves away from the divine light.

variation

• variety is integral to the goodness and perfection of the created world.

• the created world operates within a hierarchical structure.

• each element of creation possesses inherent goodness.

• example: a tree is good, despite its inability to walk.

• variation is not considered evil in this perspective.

• differences imply varying degrees of limitations among creatures.

the fall of the angels

• augustine attributes the origin of the first evil to the Fall of angels.

• biblical references to Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 support this concept.

• augustine contends that angels were initially created perfect.

• some angels, according to him, received less grace than others.

• grace, in this context, refers to divine assistance for holiness.

• some Bible scholars differ, arguing that Lucifer was created perfect.

misuse of freewill

• angelic fall resulted from the misuse of freewill, choosing to rival God.

• the same falling away from goodness occurred in the garden of Eden.

• evil in the world, according to augustine, originated from these events.

• faithful angels fought for good, while fallen ones sought to pervert the world.

• the Fall had a cosmic impact, disrupting the created order.

• adam and eve, as progenitors, caused a catastrophic effect on future generations.