Problem of Evil

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  • Created by: Beckie
  • Created on: 06-01-11 16:27

The problem of evil

When we think of a god we are meant to think of a god who has omnipotent (all powerful) omniscience (all knowing) and omni benevolence (all loving). 
but when looking at all the evil and suffering in this world how can this be? 

There are 2 main types of evil 
Natural - diseased and natural disasters that man have no control
Moral - Human immorality such as murder

Augustine recognised this problem and suggested 
“Either God is not able to abolish evil or not willing; if he is not able then he is not all-powerful, if he is not willing then he is not all-good.”

David Hume agreed with Augustine and suggested that only 3 possibilities could exist

1) God is not all powerful
2) god is not all loving
3) evil does not exist

By looking at the world we can clearly see that evil does exist which means when looking at Humes possibilities god cannot be all powerful or all loving like we would expect him to be. Hume concluded that therefore god does not exist.

There are two main theodicies that try to explain the existence of evil:

Augustine's Theodicy 
Based on the book on genesis Augustine argues that the world was made perfect by god  
without the existence of evil or suffering.

Genesis 1:31: “God saw all that he had made and saw that it was very good”

Augustine described evil and a privation (Lack of) goodness
Evil originates from free will given to angels

Comments

dave webb

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need some more info on the philiosophers  who critiiscise the theodicies