The Problem of Evil in Philosophy - 1684 Words

The Problem of Evil in Philosophy What is the classic problem of evil in the Western philosophical/theological tradition (the trilemma)? The problem of evil is the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil with that of a deity who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent. The trilemma was stated by the Greek philosopher Epicurus during antiquity and was restated during the modern period by David Hume. Epicurus poses a trilemma in order to refute the notion of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God. He first argues that if God is unable to prevent evil, he is not omnipotent. If, alternatively, God is not willing to prevent evil, he is not good. How then, Epicurus asks, can evil exists if God is both willing and able to prevent evil? Epicurus trilemma exposes a logical contradiction in the Judeo-Christian conception of God and his creation of the world. He attempts to force his opponents to either admit that God is not omnipotent or not omnibenevolent. In order to escapes this trilemma, one would either have to deny the existence of evil in the world or come up with an explanation for how evil can exist when God is both willing and able to prevent such evil. What does Immanuel Kant mean by radical evil? Radical evil refers to a source of misbehavior that is caused by unfaithfulness, hypocrisy, and delusion in a person who aims to be moral or good. Kant believes that this unfaithfulness stems from a perversity of heart rather than a desire to beShow MoreRelatedThe Existence Of God : Evil1293 Words   |  6 Pagesthat we are surrounded everywhere by evil. This seems to conflict with the belief of theism, one who believes in a God or Gods, especially a personal God who’s in control of the world. If there was an all-omnipotent, all-omniscient, and all-benevolent God, then he should have consummate knowledge that there’s evil in the world. Given that, if he knows there’s corruption in the world then he should have pure benevolence to stop the evil. So if God wanted to cease evil, he could since he should have completeRead MoreThe Existence Of God : Evil1297 Words   |  6 Pagessurrounded everywhere by evil. This seems to conflict with the belief of theism, one who believes in a God or Gods, especially a personal God who’s in control of the world. If there was an all-omnipotent, all-omniscient, and all-benevolent God, then he should have consummate knowledge that there’s evil in the world. Given that, if he knows there’s corruption in the world then he should have pure benevolence to want to stop the evil. So if God really wanted to cease evil, he could since he shouldRead MoreThe Existence Of God. Throughout The Years As Human Beings1201 Words   |  5 Pageswe are living in a world where evil surrounds us. This belief conflicts with the beliefs of theism, one who believes in a God or Gods, especially a personal God who’s in control of the world. If there was an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God, then he should have the knowledge that there’s evil in the world, he should have the benevolence to want to stop the evil, and he should have the ability to make the evil vanish. We can know that the problem of evil exists in the world by having toRead MoreOverview of The Consolation Essay795 Words   |  4 Pageswas written while Boethius was in prison awaiting execution. The work is cast in the form of a dialog with Philosophy, who explains to him the true nature of happiness, why the wicked appear to prosper while the good suffer, and many other difficulties. By the end, Boethius sees clearly the goodness and sovereignty of God. (Section numbers follow those in Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, New Yo rk: Penguin, 1969.) Things to Think About as You Read 1. Boethius constructs a harmony betweenRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Religion Essay1681 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophy of religion is basically the philosophy with questions regarding the religion, the nature and the existence of god and also the religious vocabulary and texts followed by the people. The religious philosophy and philosophy of religion are very different from each other, in philosophy of religion we discuss the questions regarding the nature of religion as a whole rather than seeking the problems brought by a particular religious system. In philosophy of religion we discuss the questionRead MorePhilosophy and Evil695 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Philosophy and Evil Genocide is a traumatic part of the worlds history. The term genocide was coined in the aftermath of World War II following the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. When the world learned that more than six million Jewish people had been murdered by the German military because of their beliefs, the universal reaction was disgust and disbelief. Despite all the wickedness that has occurred throughout history, this event was of such a disturbing nature that some had troubleRead MoreProblem of Evil1614 Words   |  7 PagesThe Problem Of Evil There are many events throughout the world that occur, that we cannot explain. The evils that exist are moral and non-moral evils. The moral evils that exist are poverty, oppression, persecution, war and injustice. The non-moral evils that occur frequently but not usually on a daily basis are earthquakes, hurricanes, storms, flood, drought, and blight (philosophy. Lander.edu/intro/hick.stml). These evils happen with thousands of people dying daily for no reason. The problemRead MoreA Critical Evaluation of the Deductive Argument from Evil1710 Words   |  7 PagesCritically Evaluate the Deductive Argument from Evil Logically, can Evil and the â€Å"three-O† God co-exist in this universe? The deductive argument from evil says they cannot. In this essay I will explain the argument and analyze why it is valid but unsound. I will do this by discussing fallacious nature of the premise that if God were omnipotent and knew he could prevent the existence of evil without sacrificing some greater good he would then necessarily prevent it. The essay will proposeRead MoreSt. Augustines important philosophical contributions to defend the philosophy of Christianity.1709 Words   |  7 Pagescontributions to defend the philosophy of Christianity. One of these contributions concerned the philosophical problem of evil. Up until St. Augustines time, philosophers questioned the idea proposed by Christians that evil generated in a world created by a perfectly good God. The problem is easy enough to understand, yet slightly more complicated to solve. St. Augustine raised some fairly good propositions to o ffer an explanation for this question. Although the problem of evil has been answered for theRead MoreReligion Is A Big Part Of My Family999 Words   |  4 Pagesnews and you can see all the evil in the world. Terrorist attacks, kids getting shot down by cops, and school shootings. How can someone be so evil to walk into an elementary school and kill innocent 6 and 7-year-olds? There isn’t any justification for this; the kids and parents didn’t deserve this undeserved pain and suffering. That’s why I believe that there is an evidential problem with evil. The argument goes as follows, premise one: God would not permit an evil. This is a pretty concrete statement