WJEC Philosophy — Theme 2
Problem of Evil & Psychology of Religion — Flashcard Set
Question Answer
How did Hick define evil? "physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness"
What is the story of 'The Brothers Literary text discussing the problem of evil. A boy was stripped
Karamazov'? naked and the dogs chased him down and savaged to death. Ivan
concludes the suffering which God does nothing about "is too
high a price to pay".
Quote against God by Stephen Fry. "Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God
who creates a world that is full of injustice and pain?"
Quote by Richard Dawkins from 'The God "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant
Delusion' character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust,
unforgiving control-freak"
What is natural evil? A form of evil and suffering which is not the direct result of free
acts of human beings, e.g. animal suffering, disease, illness,
natural disasters
What does privation mean? The loss or absence of a quality or attribute that is normally
present
What is moral evil? We are flawed 'free will agents' - this kind of suffering is our
fault
Why is giving us free will a loving thing to God is like the parent. We might make bad decisions but we will
do? learn from these and grow as people; free will is the most loving
gift.
What is the name of Peter Vardy's book? The Puzzle of Evil
What is the logical problem of evil? Theism is contradictory because it involves acceptance that both
evil and God exist together - this is logically inconsistent.
What is the Epicurean Paradox? Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not
omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is
he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he
neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
What was the name of Mackie's 1955 work Evil and Omnipotence
that was seen as a devastating blow to the
integrity of the monotheistic religions?
What is the name of Mackie's modern Inconsistent Triad
version of the Epicurean paradox?
What is Mackie's argument 1? God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent but evil does not exist -
this is because God has a loving nature and the power to stop
evil. However, it is clear that evil does exist.
, Question Answer
What is Mackie's argument 2? God is omnipotent, but not omnibenevolent, and evil exists - a
non-loving God willed evil to exist and does not care about
stopping it. This is better because it allows evil to exist, but
suggests he is not the God of classical theism.
What is Mackie's argument 3? God is omnibenevolent, but not omnipotent, and evil exists - it is
not within God's power to stop evil from occurring. Still
questions the idea of the God of Classical Theism.
What are Mackie's two quasi-logical rules? If something is wholly good, it always eliminates as much evil
as it can. If something is omnipotent, it can do anything
What is the paradox of omnipotence? "Can an omnipotent being make things which he cannot
subsequently control? Or, what is practically equivalent to this,
can an omnipotent being make rules which then bind himself?"
What is unqualified omnipotence? Cannot be ascribed to any being that continues through time.
And if God and His actions are not in time, can omnipotence, or
power of any sort, be meaningfully ascribed to Him?
Quote by Mackie against free will. "there was open to him the obviously better possibility of
making beings who would act freely but always go right"
What does Hume claim regarding evil? The effects of evil are felt too widely for it to be dismissible:
"we have to admit the reality of the evil and disorder of which
the world contains so much"
Richard Swinburne's response to free will. If God had chosen to create a world where people always chose
to do good, a world where there was no suffering, it would be
akin to 'a toy world'.
What does theodicy mean? The justification of God
Quote by Flew on the concept of God. "dies the death of a thousand qualifications"
Why did Flew criticise trying to find a He believed we needed to accept God's right to allow evil to
solution by 'qualifying God'? continue despite his ability to stop it.
What is Gregory S. Paul's argument? Over 50 billion children died naturally before reaching what
Paul calls 'the age of mature consent', and 300 billion humans
died naturally but prenatally. No all-loving, all-powerful being
would permit this.
What is William Rowe's argument? An omnipotent and omniscient being would know when intense
suffering is about to take place and would prevent it. Such evil
and suffering does happen.
Quote by William Rowe. "An omniscient, wholly good being would prevent the
occurrence of any intense suffering it could"
Quote by Mill about the problem of evil? "...with the express intention of their feeding within the living
bodies of Caterpillars..."
What does a true theodicy do? Demonstrates that God, being omnipotent, omniscient and
Problem of Evil & Psychology of Religion — Flashcard Set
Question Answer
How did Hick define evil? "physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness"
What is the story of 'The Brothers Literary text discussing the problem of evil. A boy was stripped
Karamazov'? naked and the dogs chased him down and savaged to death. Ivan
concludes the suffering which God does nothing about "is too
high a price to pay".
Quote against God by Stephen Fry. "Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God
who creates a world that is full of injustice and pain?"
Quote by Richard Dawkins from 'The God "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant
Delusion' character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust,
unforgiving control-freak"
What is natural evil? A form of evil and suffering which is not the direct result of free
acts of human beings, e.g. animal suffering, disease, illness,
natural disasters
What does privation mean? The loss or absence of a quality or attribute that is normally
present
What is moral evil? We are flawed 'free will agents' - this kind of suffering is our
fault
Why is giving us free will a loving thing to God is like the parent. We might make bad decisions but we will
do? learn from these and grow as people; free will is the most loving
gift.
What is the name of Peter Vardy's book? The Puzzle of Evil
What is the logical problem of evil? Theism is contradictory because it involves acceptance that both
evil and God exist together - this is logically inconsistent.
What is the Epicurean Paradox? Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not
omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is
he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he
neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
What was the name of Mackie's 1955 work Evil and Omnipotence
that was seen as a devastating blow to the
integrity of the monotheistic religions?
What is the name of Mackie's modern Inconsistent Triad
version of the Epicurean paradox?
What is Mackie's argument 1? God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent but evil does not exist -
this is because God has a loving nature and the power to stop
evil. However, it is clear that evil does exist.
, Question Answer
What is Mackie's argument 2? God is omnipotent, but not omnibenevolent, and evil exists - a
non-loving God willed evil to exist and does not care about
stopping it. This is better because it allows evil to exist, but
suggests he is not the God of classical theism.
What is Mackie's argument 3? God is omnibenevolent, but not omnipotent, and evil exists - it is
not within God's power to stop evil from occurring. Still
questions the idea of the God of Classical Theism.
What are Mackie's two quasi-logical rules? If something is wholly good, it always eliminates as much evil
as it can. If something is omnipotent, it can do anything
What is the paradox of omnipotence? "Can an omnipotent being make things which he cannot
subsequently control? Or, what is practically equivalent to this,
can an omnipotent being make rules which then bind himself?"
What is unqualified omnipotence? Cannot be ascribed to any being that continues through time.
And if God and His actions are not in time, can omnipotence, or
power of any sort, be meaningfully ascribed to Him?
Quote by Mackie against free will. "there was open to him the obviously better possibility of
making beings who would act freely but always go right"
What does Hume claim regarding evil? The effects of evil are felt too widely for it to be dismissible:
"we have to admit the reality of the evil and disorder of which
the world contains so much"
Richard Swinburne's response to free will. If God had chosen to create a world where people always chose
to do good, a world where there was no suffering, it would be
akin to 'a toy world'.
What does theodicy mean? The justification of God
Quote by Flew on the concept of God. "dies the death of a thousand qualifications"
Why did Flew criticise trying to find a He believed we needed to accept God's right to allow evil to
solution by 'qualifying God'? continue despite his ability to stop it.
What is Gregory S. Paul's argument? Over 50 billion children died naturally before reaching what
Paul calls 'the age of mature consent', and 300 billion humans
died naturally but prenatally. No all-loving, all-powerful being
would permit this.
What is William Rowe's argument? An omnipotent and omniscient being would know when intense
suffering is about to take place and would prevent it. Such evil
and suffering does happen.
Quote by William Rowe. "An omniscient, wholly good being would prevent the
occurrence of any intense suffering it could"
Quote by Mill about the problem of evil? "...with the express intention of their feeding within the living
bodies of Caterpillars..."
What does a true theodicy do? Demonstrates that God, being omnipotent, omniscient and
