Given the fact of evil in the world, is God’s existence probable or not? Many Atheists believe that the existence of God is improbable given the presence of evil in the world. The nature of the problem they pose is inductive. In other words, they present positive evidence that reduces the probability of the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent being. The argument usually looks something like this: There are instances of evil in the world that an omnipotent, omniscient being could have prevented without losing some greater good or permitting a worse or equal evil. An omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent being would prevent those instances of evil. Therefore, there…
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Cause And Consequences in the Problem of Evil
It has been suggested that to hold to a greater good defense (GGD) in response to the problem of evil, one must hold to a consequentialist theory of ethics. If the GGD proponent is not committed to consequentialism and is committed to an alternative ethical theory, a divine command theory, for example, then the GGD proponent is guilty of an inconsistency within his or her system of beliefs. This is a shame. The GGD is eminently plausible. So, is this right? The following is an attempt to provide a way out for the GGD proponent. Roughly I shall argue first that the GGD proponent does not have to appeal to…
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Hasker’s Existential Argument
According to William Hasker, the existential problem of evil occurs when “theism is questioned and/or rejected on the basis of moral protest, indignation, and outrage at the evils of this world.” Hasker claims that if I am glad that I exist, then I cannot (reasonably) protest against God. The simple version of his argument is: (1) I am glad that I exist.(2) If I am glad that I exist, then I am glad that the history of the world is the way it is.(3) If I am glad that the history of the world is what it is, then I cannot reproach God for the general character or the major events of the…