Problems of Evil and Suffering- The Problem of Evil

Key Words  - 

• The Logical Problem of Evil

• The Evidential Problem of Evil

• Natural Evil

• Moral Evil

• Inconsistent Triad 

Other

• Horrendous or Gratuitous Evil

Key Scholars

David Hume (1711CE – 1776 CE) 

J.L. Mackie ( 1917CE – 1981 CE) 

Epicureaus (341 BCE – 270BCE) 

Key Texts

Dialogues on Natural Religion  By David Hume

‘Evil and Omnipotence’, in God and Evil ed.  (1964) and the Miracle of Theism (1982) By J.L. Mackie  

Context

• The Problem of Evil (also known as the Problem of Suffering) is one of the best know problems for theistic belief ▪ It can be traced back to Ancient Greek thinker Epicurus who asks why God would allow bad things to happen 

The Problem of Evil

• The Logical Problem of Evil 

  • The logical version is supported by David Hume and J.L. Mackie and takes the form of modus tollens argument 

  • It argues that the existence of suffering forms an inconsistent triad with the existence of an omnipotent (allpowerful) and omni-benevolent (all-loving) God 

  • Therefore, Hume & Mackie concludes, since suffering exists then an omnipotent and omni-benevolent God does not 

• The Evidential Problem of Evil 

  • William Rowe has promoted the evidential problem of suffering which argues that each example of evil in the world is evidence that God probably does not exist. 

  • The evidential argument concludes that the more examples of evil in the world the more likely that there is no God Tr

Key arguments/debates Mill

• Some philosophers

Key Quotes

• Some philosophers

Possible Exam Questions

Section A

1. Examine the key ideas of one solution to the problem of suffering.

2. Analyse the success of one solution to the problem of suffering.

Section B

3a Clarify the ideas illustrated in this passage about moral and nature evil.

3b Analyse the implications for the existence of God from this passage.

Section C

4 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Process Theodicy.