• Home Page
  • Analysis Of A Simpler Free Will Defense

Analysis Of A Simpler Free Will Defense

Improved Essays
Show More
The problem of evil has been a consistent argument coming from both theists and atheists for ages. In this paper the argument will be examined from both sides, the article A Simpler Free Will Defense” will be summarized, and I will analyze the article and additionally explain why my side of the argument is correct. The question that stands is “if there is a God how does he let evil occur?” Is it that this God cannot prevent the evil, which goes against the typical theist view that God is omnipotent, or will he not prevent evil, which goes against the concept of an omnibenevolent God. In an excerpt from The Philosophers Way John Hick talks about how evil can be allowed while still having an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omnipresent God he

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Richard Swinburne's Theodicy: The Logical And Evidential Problem Of Evil
    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Richard Swinburne's Theodicy: The Logical And Evidential Problem Of Evil

    The evidential problem of evil determines the degree of how much evil must be a part of the evidence of God’s existence. While on the other hand the logical problem of evil is seen through our own eyes. It bares the question whether God is a perfect because of all wrong taking place in the world. Through these two problems it is hard to even imagine that God is perfect. Through Richard Swinburne’s theodicy (theodicy - an attempt to defend God's omnibenevolence in the face of evil) , one comes to find the case that initially escapes the evidential and logical problems…

    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Evil And Omnipotence Analysis
    • 1132 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Evil And Omnipotence Analysis

    In his article “Evil and Omnipotence,” J.L. Mackie explores the various adequate and fallacious solutions to the “problem of evil,” a problem in which “God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists” (p. 119). While Mackie discusses, analyzes, and criticizes many solutions, including “good cannot exist without evil” (p. 120) and “evil is necessary as a means to good” (p. 122), my paper will solely focus on Mackie’s response to the fallacious solution that “evil is due to human free will” (p. 123), which begins “first I must query” on p. 124. This paper will formally extract, justify, critically evaluate, and engage with Mackie’s argument that existence of evil due to free will is erroneous. Mackie describes the free will…

    • 1132 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Summary Of Evil And Omnipotence By J. L. Mackie
    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Summary Of Evil And Omnipotence By J. L. Mackie

    If there were an omniscient, omnipotent and wholly good God then there wouldn’t be any unjustified evil in the world. Since there is a omniscient, omnipotent and wholly good God, who is incomprehensible to humans, who allows unjustified evil to exist thus he create free beings. Free beings with the capability to choose right from evil and thus the existence of unjustified evil in the…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Dependence Argument Analysis
    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Dependence Argument Analysis

    1) In this paper I argue that B.C. Johnson’s argument about the problem of evil and God when it comes to dependence is weak because his work field explanation fails. I will address this argument as the “Dependence Argument.” As you read you will notice the simple addition to the job field he addresses points out holes in his “Dependence Argument.” Johnson’s following argument, which I will call the “Moral Urgency Argument,” provides a similar attack to the theist explanation for God allowing evil, but by taking out the “Dependence Argument” Johnson’s argument becomes stronger.…

    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Mackie's Argument For The Existence Of God
    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mackie's Argument For The Existence Of God

    If the theist was to truly believe that God was not wholly good, then he is opening doors to a sadistic God. Also, the theist could reject that God is not omnipotent. But the problem still remains of the theist not truly accepting that God is not all-powerful, and he cannot eliminate evil. The theist’s adequate solutions are not enough to get out of the problem of evil because he cannot fully accept the rejection of one proposition. Therefore, it is assumed that if the theist when discussing the problem of evil rejects the proposition, the proposition is then assumed elsewhere in the…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Mackie's Argument Analysis
    • 1868 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Mackie's Argument Analysis

    When one examines religion, one often finds a glaring contradiction between the existence an all knowing, all powerful, all loving God, and evil. This is known as the problem of evil, and it has perplexed theists and atheists for centuries. One 20th century philosopher, J.L Mackie, used a formulation of the problem of evil in an attempt to disprove the existence of God. Over the course of his career, he sought to prove that God could not exist alongside evil. While Mackie’s argument is valid, it is not sound.…

    • 1868 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Leibniz Vs Mackie
    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Leibniz Vs Mackie

    The problem of evil arises in both of the philosophical arguments by Gottfried Leibniz and J. L. Mackie, as they attempt to argue for and against the existence of God. The title of Leibniz’s book, Theodicy, translates into “the vindication of God’s power and goodness despite the existence of evil,” and so Leibniz attempts to solve the problem of evil through his work (Martin 313). Mackie’s work, Evil and Omnipotence, sets forth a strong thesis in his argument challenging religious belief in God. Despite the problem of evil in the world, it is still rational to believe in the existence of God.…

    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of B. Johnson's BC Johnson, God And The Problem Of Evil '
    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analysis Of B. Johnson's BC Johnson, God And The Problem Of Evil '

    Since mankind has the free will to make wrong decisions, evilness will run its course. In conclusion, Hick is saying in order for God to be who he is portrayed as, evilness must exist. If evilness did not exist, then mankind would not have free will and therefore, our universe as we see it today would not exist the way it does (The Soul-Making…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    'Roundtable Discussion On The Problem Of Evil'
    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages

    'Roundtable Discussion On The Problem Of Evil'

    In the “Roundtable Discussion on the Problem of Evil”, Meghan Sullivan, Trent Dougherty, and Sam Newlands discusses the Problem of Evil for theism, as well as defences theists have come up with against the problem. All three people do not take the side of a theist or an atheist, but instead discuss the problem from a mostly objective view. The Problem of Evil is also discussed by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and William Craig in God? A Debate Between a Christian and an Atheist, where Sinnott-Armstrong argues from the atheist’s point of view and Craig argues from the theist’s. In this paper, I will discuss the points made in both sources to make my argument: I shall argue that there is a possibility that God could have made different types of evils…

    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of J. L. Mackie's Evil And Omnipotence
    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analysis Of J. L. Mackie's Evil And Omnipotence

    Evil and Omnipotence In Evil and Omnipotence, J.L. Mackie presents fallacious solutions that try solving the logical problem of evil. Fallacious solutions explicitly maintain all their propositions, but implicitly end up rejecting at least one of them. The fourth fallacious solution (S4), claims that moral evil is necessary in any world containing the overriding good of human freedom. In this paper, I will demonstrate: (I) S4; (II) Mackie’s objection of S4; (III) A primary benefit of Mackie’s argument; and (IV) Why Mackie’s criticism succeeds. (I) S4:…

    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Problem Of Evil Argument Analysis
    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Problem Of Evil Argument Analysis

    The Problem of Evil argument focuses on the fact the existence of evil in the universe contradicts with God’s existence. I challenge the soundness of the argument, especially two particular premises which deal with omnipotence and omnibenevolence. The argument is largely considered a valid or logical argument. To examine the validity of the argument, it is necessary, first, to define the term “God” in the argument.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Free Will Defense And Irenaeus Argument Analysis
    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Free Will Defense And Irenaeus Argument Analysis

    The topic of evil and why God so calls "allows" evil to happen has become a cliché that non-believers have used as a method to shame believer for their beliefs. The author in prompt seven makes the argument that if God was this so call good God why did he allow an event like the holocaust to occur. The author also implies that the position that God allows things to happen because of free will should be put aside when it is not realistic to believe in the real world where people are dying. The author also believes that free will is not more important than the life of people. In addition to this the author argues that the notion of God allowing such evil event to happen is "silliness", the basic point of her argument is that free will is not…

    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Elliot Sober Arguments From Evil
    • 1445 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Elliot Sober Arguments From Evil

    Arguments From Evil: Elliot Sober I. Introduction The reality of evil existing in our world has been questioned throughout time based on the argument that an all powerful, all knowing, and all good (all-PKG) God cannot coexist with evil. The problem of evil only appears when there is a PKG God because if God is all powerful, all knowing, and all good then how could there still be evil. Therefore, if one of those properties we removed then there would no longer be a problem because then God couldn 't prevent evil from happening.…

    • 1445 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Augustine And Evil
    • 1966 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Augustine And Evil

    Epicurus was one of the first philosophers to consider the problem of evil and his question; “if He is both willing and able (to take away all evils), which alone is suitable to God, from what source then are evils? Or why does He not remove them?” , summarises concisely the issue which has been at the forefront of philosophical argument for thousands of years. To explore this question I will first consider what God is. In this essay I will refer to God in the orthodox monotheistic sense of the word as an omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent being. Likewise, evil refers to all that is bad in the world.…

    • 1966 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of Theodicy: The Free Will Defense
    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Analysis Of Theodicy: The Free Will Defense

    One of the most persistence questions we as thinking having often tends to challenge the existence of God. That question is, ‘if God is good and made us in His likeness, then why is there evil in the world?’ This question has plagued both theist and philosophers alike. I personally have encountered this very question in both Religious Quest, as well as Philosophy. While the latter concentrates on the logical problem of evil in order to argue that there can not be a perfect God who could then allow evil, the theist believes in an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent God.…

    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings