Phil 347 FINAL
1. The logical problem of evil: The world is full of evil- theist and athesit agree.
All knowing god knows there is evil, all good being would stop it and all powerful
could stop it. All three can not stay if evil exists.
2. Free will defense: God maximized the goodness in the world by creating free
being. A free being means that we have the choice to do evil things- A choice
that some of us exercise. This preserves Gods goodness because he created
the best possible world by making us free and preserves his knowledge and
power becuase he knows about evil and could stop it but wants to maintain our
freedom. The issue with this is that it only focuses on moral evil which is evil
committed on purpose by humans. This does not resolve the issue of natural
evil like earthquakes.
3. Epicurus Restated:
1) If God is almighty, he can remove all evil.
2) If God is all good, he would will to remove all evil
3) But there is Evil
4C) Hence, it isn't the case that God is almighty and all good.
4. Epicurus and the problem of evil:
God is either:
1) Wills but is unable
2) Able and unwilling
3) Neither willing nor able
4) He is both willing and able
If (1) He is feeble, not a characteristic of God.
If (2) He is envious, not a characteristic of God.
If (3) He is both envious and feeble, not a characteristic of God
If (4) which is the only possible one suitable for God, from what source are evils or
why does He not remove them?
5. Mackie Restated:
1) God is Omni potent
2) God is Wholly good
3) Evil Exists
4) A good thing always eliminates (prevents the occurrence of) evil as far as it can
1/6
, 5) There are no limits to what an omnipotnent thing can do
6) Hence a good, omnipotent thing eliminates evil completely
7) Hence contradiction
6. Trans World Depravity: Consider all possible (not actual) worlds in which
you always choose the right.
In all those, there will be a subpart of the world that says you were free to choose a
certain right or wrong action, but does not say whether you chose it. If that subpart
were actual (in the real world), then you'd chose the wrong.
7. Objection to Plantinga (Which philosopher said this??): 1)There are
possible worlds in which people freely do only good.
2) Only works if it is part of traditional theism that Gods Omnibenevolence implies
that God would prevent all evil.
8. Plantingas Free will defense (A response to Mackies Logical argument from
evil): He wants to offer a cause and effect for the proof of 1-3. He needs to stay
consistent with 1 and 2 and together with 1 and 2 imply 3. He does this by use of
Trans World Depravity.
1) An omnipotent, all good God Exists.
2) Possible every poerson suffers from trans world depravity3) God
actualizes a world with moral good 4C) Evil exists.
9. Plantingas Quantitative Free Will Defense: 1. A perfectly good God exists
2. Possible every person has TWD
3. God actualizes a world with as much good and evil as this world- possibly this is
the best world that can be actualize
4. There exists evil of the amount found in this world
--Plantinga is here assuming that it is consistent with Gods goodness to actualize
whatever world has the greatest possible amount and proportion of good and evil
regardless of what that amount and proportion is.
10. Plantingas Free will defense Extended: 1) An Omni God exists
2) Possibly TWD
3) God creates a world with as much good as bad
4) There exists evil of the amount found in our world
11. Mackies Objection to Plantingas FWD: Logically possible for God to create
a world where free agents always do only good.
2/6
1. The logical problem of evil: The world is full of evil- theist and athesit agree.
All knowing god knows there is evil, all good being would stop it and all powerful
could stop it. All three can not stay if evil exists.
2. Free will defense: God maximized the goodness in the world by creating free
being. A free being means that we have the choice to do evil things- A choice
that some of us exercise. This preserves Gods goodness because he created
the best possible world by making us free and preserves his knowledge and
power becuase he knows about evil and could stop it but wants to maintain our
freedom. The issue with this is that it only focuses on moral evil which is evil
committed on purpose by humans. This does not resolve the issue of natural
evil like earthquakes.
3. Epicurus Restated:
1) If God is almighty, he can remove all evil.
2) If God is all good, he would will to remove all evil
3) But there is Evil
4C) Hence, it isn't the case that God is almighty and all good.
4. Epicurus and the problem of evil:
God is either:
1) Wills but is unable
2) Able and unwilling
3) Neither willing nor able
4) He is both willing and able
If (1) He is feeble, not a characteristic of God.
If (2) He is envious, not a characteristic of God.
If (3) He is both envious and feeble, not a characteristic of God
If (4) which is the only possible one suitable for God, from what source are evils or
why does He not remove them?
5. Mackie Restated:
1) God is Omni potent
2) God is Wholly good
3) Evil Exists
4) A good thing always eliminates (prevents the occurrence of) evil as far as it can
1/6
, 5) There are no limits to what an omnipotnent thing can do
6) Hence a good, omnipotent thing eliminates evil completely
7) Hence contradiction
6. Trans World Depravity: Consider all possible (not actual) worlds in which
you always choose the right.
In all those, there will be a subpart of the world that says you were free to choose a
certain right or wrong action, but does not say whether you chose it. If that subpart
were actual (in the real world), then you'd chose the wrong.
7. Objection to Plantinga (Which philosopher said this??): 1)There are
possible worlds in which people freely do only good.
2) Only works if it is part of traditional theism that Gods Omnibenevolence implies
that God would prevent all evil.
8. Plantingas Free will defense (A response to Mackies Logical argument from
evil): He wants to offer a cause and effect for the proof of 1-3. He needs to stay
consistent with 1 and 2 and together with 1 and 2 imply 3. He does this by use of
Trans World Depravity.
1) An omnipotent, all good God Exists.
2) Possible every poerson suffers from trans world depravity3) God
actualizes a world with moral good 4C) Evil exists.
9. Plantingas Quantitative Free Will Defense: 1. A perfectly good God exists
2. Possible every person has TWD
3. God actualizes a world with as much good and evil as this world- possibly this is
the best world that can be actualize
4. There exists evil of the amount found in this world
--Plantinga is here assuming that it is consistent with Gods goodness to actualize
whatever world has the greatest possible amount and proportion of good and evil
regardless of what that amount and proportion is.
10. Plantingas Free will defense Extended: 1) An Omni God exists
2) Possibly TWD
3) God creates a world with as much good as bad
4) There exists evil of the amount found in our world
11. Mackies Objection to Plantingas FWD: Logically possible for God to create
a world where free agents always do only good.
2/6
