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PhilosophyofReligion

ProblemofEvil:Handout2

The Argument:

1) Evil exists2) If God exists, He would want to prevent all evil.3) If God exists, He would be able to prevent all evil.4) If (3) and (4) then, if God exists, there would be no evil.5) Therefore, if God exists, there would be no evil.6)Therefore, God does not exist.

TheFreeWillDefense:

(2)isfalsebecausetherearegoodstatesofaffairsthatGodcannotbringaboutwithoutpermittingtheexistenceofevil.Beingfreewithrespecttoanactionmeansyoucanperformornotperforman

action;causalormetaphysicallawsdonotdeterminewhatyouwilldo.Beingsignificantlyfreemeansbeingfreewithrespecttoamorallysignificantaction.

Aworldcontainingcreatureswhoaresignificantlyfreeismorevaluable,allelsebeingequal,thanaworldcontainingnofreecreaturesatall.(p.328)

Godcouldonlypreventfreecreaturesfromperformingmorallyevilactsbyalsopreventingthemfromperformingmorallygoodacts.

Godcannotcreatesomeworlds;HecannotcreateaworldwhereIwouldfreelyperformactionXinsomecircumstanceC,Cobtains,butIdonotdoX (GodcantmakeaworldwhereIwouldfreelyeatwafflesforbreakfast,but

insteadeatpancakeseventhoughthisisntalogicalcontradiction!)

Imagineitstruethat,ifyoupayme$20,IllfreelygiveyouanA.(Itsnot.)Then,Godcouldnotmakeaworldwhereyougiveme$20andIfreelyrefusethebribe.

Evil(inthiscase,bribery)existsasanecessaryconsequenceofcreatingcreatureswhoaresignificantlyfree.

1) WhydidGodmakemesuchthatIwouldacceptbribes?2) Howcanwemakesenseofcausationonthisaccount,ifImfreetoaccept

ornotacceptbribes?

Howdoesthishelpwithnaturalevil?Maybeothersupernaturalcreaturesalsohavefreewill,andtheycausediseases,earthquakes,etc.

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RoweandtheEvidentialArgumentfromEvil

TheistResponsetoMackie:WecandescribeapossibilitywhereGodexists,yetevilalsoexists.Example:thefreewillresponse,Plantinga,demons,etc.

AnAtheistReply:MaybetherearesomepossibilitiesaccordingtowhichbothGodandevilsexist.ThoseareallcasesinwhichGodpermitseviltoallowforagreatergoodoravoidagreaterevil.But,thatsnothowthingsactuallyare!Lookaround,ourevilsdontseemtobeofthatsort.

NEE(forNoExcuseEvil):aninstanceofintensehumanoranimalsufferingwhichGodcouldhavepreventedwithouttherebylosingsomegreatergoodorpermitting

someevilequallybadorworse.

RowesEvidentialArgumentfromEvil(restatedand(hopefully)simplified).

R1.NEEsexist.

R2.IfGodexists,thennoNEEsexist.

R3.Therefore,Goddoesnotexist.

Rowe:eventhoughwecannotdeductivelyprovethetruthofR1wehaverationalgroundsforbelievingittobetrue.

Itseemsquiteunlikelythatalltheinstancesofintensesufferingoccurringdailyinourworldareintimatelyrelatedtotheoccurrenceofgreatergoodsorthepreventionofevilsatleastasbad(Rowe358).

TheTheistsResponse:

TheDirectAttack:Provideevidenceforthefalsityof(R1).

TheIndirectAttack:TheG.E.MooreShift:

M1.Goddoesexist.

M2.IfGodexists,thennoNEEsexist.

M3.Therefore,noNEEsexist.