Phil 230, Handout 5 - Evil And The Ontological Proof

Front 1

When does error occur?

Back 1

When the will extends beyond the understanding, error occurs.

Front 2

How can error be avoided?

Back 2

Error can be avoided by restricting our will to what we truly understand.

Front 3

Why is understanding limited?

Back 3

Understanding is limited because we are finite beings.

Front 4

Explain why error is not caused by God (4 steps)

Back 4

1) Light of nature shows us that our will should be restricted by our understanding.
2) Understanding is limited because we are finite beings.
3) The will is unitary and can’t be limited.
4) Ultimately error is a deprivation in us, and is not caused by God.

Front 5

Define the existential problem of evil

Back 5

It is hard to see why a loving God would permit people to suffer.

Front 6

Explain the logical attack on God

Back 6

1) If God is omnipotent, he is capable of eliminating all evil.
2) If God is perfectly good, he wants to eliminate all evil.
3) Evil exists.
4) Therefore, God is either not omnipotent or not perfectly good, or does not exist.

Front 7

Explain the free-will defense on the logical attack on God.

Back 7

1) It’s logically possible for an omnipotent-benevolent God to create beings with free will
2) It’s logically possible for beings with free will to do evil.
3) Therefore, it’s logically possible for an omnipotent God to create a world in which there is evil.

Front 8

Explain Platinga's argument regarding the world not being created by an omnipotent and benevolent God

Back 8

1) It’s logically possible for God to create free beings.
2) It’s logically possible for free beings to choose rightly once.
3) If it’s logically possible to choose rightly once, it’s logically possible to choose rightly always.
4) An omnipotent-benevolent God would have created a world in which free beings always choose rightly.
5) Our world contains moral evil.
6) Therefore, our world was not created by an omnipotent-benevolent God.

Front 9

Explain Descartes Ontological Argument for the existence of God.

Back 9

1) By definition, God contains all perfections.
2) Existence is a perfection.
3) Therefore, God exists.

Front 10

Are mathematical truths a priori or a posteriori?

Back 10

Mathematical truths are a priori.

Front 11

What is the key idea in Anselm's argument that God exists in reality

Back 11

If something exists in the understanding alone, it might have been greater than it is.

Front 12

Distinguish Excellence from Greatness

Back 12

Excellence is a measure of a thing’s virtue. Greatness is a degree of excellence across possible worlds.