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Definition:
The Problem of Evil is generally considered, even among theistic apologists and theologians,
as one of the stronger critiques of traditional western theistic religions.
The two basic premises of the Problem of Evil are, first, that bad things happen and, second, that a good god would wish to see that bad things did not happen.
If this god is omnipotent, then it would be able to prevent bad things. Since bad things have not stopped, then if there is a god, either it is not omnipotent or it doesn't mind the existence of evil. If it doesn't mind the existence of evil, then it can't be good. Thus, even if there is a god, it either is very impotent or is actually evil itself.
A milder form of the argument can state that even a less-than-omnipotent god who is very powerful, and a a less-than-perfectly-good god who still has a strong inclination to stop evil, should be able to bring about a state of affairs where the amount of evil in the world is less than what we currently experience. Thus, even if there is a god, it either is very impotent or actually evil itself.
Some defenses against this argument include denying that evil exists at all, and arguing that the appearance of evil is merely due to our not having the "big picture" - of course, this undermines any attempt to argue that god is good. Another defense is called a theodicy, which involves arguing that we do indeed live in the best of all possible worlds, which means that we have the maximum amount of good and the minimum amount of evil which is logically possible.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
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Related Resources:
What are Ethics and Morality?
Ethics is the formal study of moral standards and conduct. For this reason, the study of ethics is also often called "moral philosophy." What is good? What is evil? How should I behave - and why? How should I balance my needs against the needs of others?What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy? Is there any point in studying philosophy, or is it a useless subject? What are the different branches of philosophy - what's the difference between aestheitcs and ethics? What's the difference between metaphysics and epistemology?
