Plantinga's solution to the problem of evil book

May 11, 2017 to refute it, plantingas answer is similar to the one i used in a post in this blog about logical fallacies. The answer is that the many problems of evil, for they are all distinct, do form a family and. Alvin plantingas free will defense is a logical argument developed by american analytic philosopher alvin plantinga, the john a. Broadly stated, the problem of evil is the seeming contradiction between an allpowerful, allloving god and the human experience of suffering and evil in the world. Solutions to the problem of evil philosophy dungeon. By looking at the bibles honest questioning of evil, gods response to evil, and the scriptural solution to evil, one can address this problem using almost nothing other than gods word. This assumes the existence of evil is an overall bad thing for the universe resulting in a universe that is worst than the best of all possible universes or bue, best universe ever. Nov 30, 1973 god, freedom, and evil is a challenging book to think through yet it offers a sound defense to the logical problem of evil. Briefly summarize the christian worldviews response to the problem of evil and suffering. Discussion on plantingas response to the logical problem of evil.

This is mostly because alvin plantingas response to the logical problem of natural evil is considered by most to be definitive. The problem with the higher good argument is the following. Jun 16, 2018 it is, therefore, difficult to see why plantingas free will defense should be found wanting if that defense is seen as a response to the logical problem of evil. Scripture not only refers to the problem of evil, but it offers several solutions to it. The most recent of these books, from the spectrum multiview books series, seeks to address an ageold problem with a bit of modern flaregod and the problem of evil. The failure of plantingas solution to the logical problem. That is, for plantinga to have actually resolved the logical. What is the free will defense to the problem of evil. It is thus completely ineffective as a solution to the traditional.

The problem of evil popular writings reasonable faith. In response to this charge, plantinga maintains that there are some worlds god. Alvin plantingas free will defense wikipedia republished. I still remember when i told him that i thought the problem of evil is irresolvable. Chaos and impermanence exist at every level of the universefrom the life and death of stars to the creation and eventual destruction of the earth and every human, flower, and form of life on it. The free will and ignorance defenses fail for a number reasonmost prominent of which being the groundless presuppositions underlying the arguments. Some philosophers feel that plantingas apparent victory over the logical problem of evil was somehow too easy. Alvin plantingas freewill defense plantinga proposed a freewill defense in a volume edited by max black in 1965, 37 which attempts to refute the logical problem of evil, the argument that the existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good god. Mackies formulation of the logical problem of evil argued that three attributes of god, omniscience, omnipotence, and omnibenevolence, in orthodox christian theism are. The existence of evil causes problems for this definition. Edited cover image from alvin plantingas book god, freedom, and evil. Esplana 7 in the final analysis, we can see that god actively decreed the existence of evil to be used for his eternal plan toward his glory. He was also elected a fellow of the british academy.

Solutions to the problem of evil, theodicy, norman geisler on. In the first chapter he discusses various senses of the term, problem of evil. The first premise is based on the idea that god exists is inconsistent with evil exists, so all plantinga did was undermine that idea by showing that god exists is not inconsistent with evil exists. This form of the problem is abstract in that it does not deal with the amounts or kinds of evil which exist, but only with the fact that there is some evil or other. What is plantingas free will defense, and how does it. After that probable causes as well as solutions are examined and thereafter. This applies to the problem of evil in the following way. Kevin timpe university of san diegoa classic work in the philosophy of religion, plantingas god, freedom, and evil is the single most influential text on the problem of evil in the past fifty years.

Alvin plantingas solution to the deductive problem of evil. Plantinga on the free will defense hugh lafollette. I certainly dont think this is a good response to the evidential problem. Plantinga s response to the logical problem of n atural evil is considered by most to be definitive. What, then, is the relationship of my discussion of the apologetic problems to the problem of evil in its other formsto personal problems of evil, or pastoral problems of evil. My topic is alvin plantingas solution to one of the many forms that the problem of evil takes. It could make it so good cant be obtained from evil. The problem of evil, especially when adding the element of gratuitous evil, remains an outstanding problem for theism. It was later printed as chapter 6 of plantingas book god and other. Oct 30, 2016 the question is that, even if we grant plantinga that evils in the world are, if fact, necessary evils that even god could not eliminate, then is the question of evil settled. Plantingas argument is a defense against the logical problem of evil as. In this book, god, freedom, and evil, plantinga analyzes several mainline arguments of both natural theology and natural atheology. The topic of evil offers many onramps to preaching powerful sermons and proclaiming the gospel. One version of this problem includes animal suffering from natural evil, such as the violence and fear faced by animals from predators, natural disasters, over the history of evolution.

A critique of the free will defense, a comprehensive look at. Mackie on the problem of evil the free will defense john leslie mackie 19171981, an australian philosopher, taught at oxford university from 1967 till his death in 1981. Cite and reference the lecture andor chapter 9 in the textbook, the beginning of wisdom 4458311. And therefore, its something that god could correct. I suspect plantinga is here responding to the logical problem is he. Jul 23, 2018 in my article showed how plantinga assesses that the problem of evil is most probably intended by most to argue for an implicit contradiction between a certain set of beliefs within christian theis. God is omnipotent, all knowing and perfectly good is consistent with the proposition. The logical problem of evil, as opposed to the evidential problem of evil, is the contention that to posit the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good god in an evil world constitutes a logical contradiction. The solution that moore defends to the problem of evil, in view of his worries about plantingas free will defense, is philosophically interesting, methodologically intuitive, theologically consistent and apologetically pertinent. Second, explain the difference between natural and moral evil. Plantinga starts at the very foundations of theological thinking. The problem of evil the philosophical problem of evil is the challenge of reconciling belief in god with evil in the world. The failure of plantingas solution to the logical problem of.

Third, explain plantingas response to the problem of moral evil. Plantinga began to address the logical form of the problem in a unique way with his version of the free will defense. The problem then with the skeptics argument regarding the problem of evil is twofold. Alvin plantingas properly basic belief religion refuted. A person is not obligated to accept any of plantingas views in order to recognize thatlogicallyhis defense succeeds in defeating that particular version of the problem of evil. A critique of the free will defense, a comprehensive look. Obrien professor of philosophy emeritus at the university of notre dame, and published in its final version in his 1977 book god, freedom, and evil. Alvin plantinga decisively refuted the logical problem of evil, used in order to allegedly disprove gods existence, or his character as allgood and allpowerful. After weeks of exploring the existence of nature of god, today hank explores one of the biggest problems in theism, and possibly the biggest philosophical question humanity faces. I think the problem of evil, in plantingas account, is not settled, but it is moved from the level of necessities to the level of contingencies. Plantinga s free will defense plantinga starts his defense by addressing concerns from j. Also see, william rowe, an exchange on the problem of evil in god and the problem of evil. If god is good, then he has the desire to eliminate evil.

In his bestselling book when bad things happen to good people, rabbi. The article clarifies the nature of the logical problem of evil and considers various. I plantinga s presentation of the free will defense is a landmark in contemporary discussions of the problem of evil. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In his discussion of natural theology arguments to prove the existence of god and natural atheology arguments for the falsehood of theistic belief plantinga focuses on two of the traditional arguments.

His solution to the logical problem of evil leaves them feeling unsatisfied and suspicious that they have been taken in by some kind of sleight of hand. Few thinkers have had as much impact on contemporary philosophy as has alvin plantinga. Plantingas version of the defense is a famous attempt on the problem of evil. Plantingas answer to the logical problem of evil part 2. John mackie and alvin plantinga arguments on the problem of. Christians have various solutions to the problem of evil and suffering in the world. Of course, this question ties into theology and philosophy as well. The book of job does not give an answer concerning the question of the problem of evil, but it does call christians to humbly trust in the lord. I mean if one posits that donald trump is god, stating that evil exists because donald trump cant do anything about it is then a logical solution to the problem of evil. The problem of evil is one of the most discussed topics in the philosophy of religion. The opportunity is perpetually ripe because people constantly have questions they would like answered.

Solutions to the problem of evil, theodicy, norman geisler. My topic is alvin plantingas solution to one of the many. Plantingas answer to the logical problem of evil part 1. Since nothing can happen apart from gods will, wisdom and power, it is clear that he has the total. Plantinga and the problem of evil iowa state university. He finds all atheistic arguments wanting and most theistic arguments wanting. To establish this, i will lay out plantinga s solution, show how it misunderstands the logical problem of natural evil and in turn clearly articulate how the problem presents itself to the modern. Indeed, the existence of suffering and evil is not just a. In response to the logical problem of evil, notable philosopher alvin plantinga describes such a possible reason in his famous free will defense. Otte had an exchange with plantinga on the latters famous free will defense fwd in a recent issue of philosophy and phenomenological research. Thus, plantingas solution does not solve the logical problem of natural evil, even.

Pdf the failure of plantingas solution to the logical problem of. Aug 20, 2019 plantingas theory, therefore, does not give an explanation of the latter kind of evil trakakis 93. Alvin plantingas freewill defense is a logical argument developed by the american analytic philosopher alvin plantinga and published in its final version in his 1977 book god, freedom, and evil. The problem of evil and the probity of doing theodicy from. Plantinga calls the answer to such questions a theodicy, which. Whether in the midst of pain, suffering or agony, the lord will sustain his people through it all for his purposes and glory.

In other words, an allpowerful god, allknowing god, and a perfectly good god could not permit evil. This is the problem posed by the existence of evil in a world created by an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent god. I shall comment on a provocative critique of plantinga s position presented by robert merrihew adams in an article entitled middle knowledge and the problem of evil. The logical problem of evil revisited by moore, kevin c isbn. The problem of evil alvin plantingas point of view medium. The theistic concept of god as supremely powerful, intelligent, and good makes the problem very difficult because such a being, it would seem, would make a much better world than this one. If belief 1 and 3 are compatible and belief 3 entails necessarily belief 2 it follows that belief 1 and 2 are consistent. Absolute sovereignty falls under the umbrella of omnipotence. The logical problem of evil implies that there is an inherent contradiction in postulating both the existence of a theistic god and the existence of evil.

In addition to refuting the atheist argument, plantinga turns it around and uses it to justify the existence of god. So youre back to the original problem, god could make the. Contrary to current mythology, however, its failure was not established by alvin plantingas free will defense. There is no cogent theodicy or defense against it, plantinga notwithstanding. So paradoxically, even though the problem of evil is the greatest objection to the existence of god, at the end of the day god is the only solution to the problem of evil. Gods divine attributes in the face of the challenge of evil. Even though the plantingas response to the logical problem of evil has been accepted by many scholars, it also has several loopholes. Plantingas argument is a defense against the logical problem of evil as formulated by the philosopher j. Furthermore, plantingas response to the problem is not just a contribution that provides justification for. Lewis, god, freedom, and evil by alvin plantinga, a grief observed by c. In ottes paper, he shows that plantingas definition.

You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose the same condition on any acquirer british library cataloguing in publication data data available library of congress cataloging in publication data van inwagen, peter. T true 3 1 f false 24 mackie disagrees with plantingas. The problem simply stems from basic beliefs or assumptions pertaining to the attributes of god. Having noted that the best apologists and theologians in church history havent answered all the questions raised by the existence of evil in this world, i told him that no one would ever solve the problem on this side of. He asserts that there are abhorrent evils, recognized by all. Review of the problem of evil that this would be the free response of his creatur es, the decision not to reveal himself is for god a form of riskmanagement.

The problem of evil has also been extended beyond human suffering, to include suffering of animals from cruelty, disease and evil. This volume fills that need, offering the most uptodate collection of recent scholarship on the problem of evil. Plantingas argument is a defense against the logical problem of evil as formulated by philosopher j. The problem of evil is usually seen as the problem of how the existence of god can be reconciled with the existence of evil in the world. One could argue, for instance, that there is simply no logical pathway from an allperfect world to a lessthanperfect world. The theistic concept of god as supremely powerful, intelligent, and good makes the problem very difficult because such a being, it would seem, would make a. For some time, however, there has been a need for a collection of readings that adequately represents recent and ongoing writing on the topic. The problem of evil is the idea that a wholly good and omnipotent god would not allow evil to exist, but since evil exists, god must not.

Christian solutions to the problem of evil nature of god. Plantinga and the problem of evil heimir geirsson, iowa state university michael losonsky, colorado state university the logical problem of evil centers on the apparent inconsistency of the following two propositions. Mackies version of the logical problem of evil is a failure, as even he came to recognize. This article will assess some of the solutions given to the problem and it will focus on plantinga s solution to the problem and then it will unravel some defects of his solution. Problem of evil is basically how can god omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent or ooo for short and evil both exist. I am running not the logical problem of evil, remember, but the evidential problem see here.

A critique of the free will defense, a comprehensive look at alvin. Nachmanides, the great thcentury jewish scholar, wrote that the problem of evil is the most difficult matter, which is at the root both of faith and of apostasy, with which scholars of all ages, people and tongues have struggled. Alvin plantingas version of the defense is a famous attempt on the problem of evil. Ykema, justin, a critique of the free will defense, a comprehensive look at alvin plantingas solution to the problem of evil. However, plantinga eventually settles to the crux of the matter. I want to suggest that plantingas speculation about evil spirits causing natural disasters is deficient in the same way it is only if we can take the possible world seriously as one we might actually occupy that it will count as a solution to the the problem of natural evil. Jan 02, 2020 the logical problem of evil makes a claim based on logic. Lets see how a contradiction among a given set of fact can be intended to see if such contradictions really apply to the set of facts that both a theistic god exists and evil exists. See below for plantingas answer to the problem of evil. The problem of evil is basically a theological question, but if you want to approach it in a nonreligious context then you must think existentially.

Plantingas treatment of the problem of evil centers around the atheistic claim that an omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good god could create a world which contains moral good but no moral. You might find that most philosophers that actually address this question within secular terms are indeed philosophers of religion and or theologians. But that is not the premise of the problem of evil. The opportunity is perpetually ripe because people constantly have questions they. T true 3 1 f false 24 mackie disagrees with plantingas definition of free will. Jan 27, 2018 plantingas answer to the logical problem of evil part 1 posted by confident faith on january 27, 2018 september 11, 2018 in this article, we will start seeing how plantinga in his book god, freedom and evil tackles the logical problem of evil. Perhaps youve heard that alvin plantinga resolved the logical problem of evil decades ago with his free will defense in his book god, freedom, and evil and that even most atheists agree.

Plantingas theistic argument based on the problem of evil. Mind you this a philosophical argument for the socalled problem of evil, plantinga himself states that this book is not for a pastoral response. Plantingas solution was basically to show that the first premise is not true. Mar 12, 2007 peter van inwagens the problem of evil is a fairly short book, but only about half of it is devoted to his answer to the problem of evil. Even allowing for libertarianism doesnt allow plantinga s. The logical problem of evil, plantingas free will defense, and how it relates to the debate on free will posted on january 29, 20 by leesomniac my recent posts have spoken a bit on the problem of evil, but i havent really fleshed out the logical problem of evil and plantingas response to it because i did not think most readers would. A classic work in the philosophy of religion, plantingas god, freedom, and evil is the single most influential text on the problem of evil in the past fifty years. A world containing creatures who are significantly free and freely perform more good than evil actions is more valuable, all else being equal, than a world containing no free creatures at all. The problem is that if all future actions of a person are determined in divine knowledge, it is impossible for him to change his future and so he is not free.

Suppose we see an adult slowly torturing children to death. What is the biblical solution to the problem of evil. For plantingas solution to the logical problem of evil to be effective in showing how god and evil are compatible, it needs to be inconceivable that a desire for moral good in some specified quantity is not a morally sufficient reason for a maximally excellent being to allow evil. Dec 18, 2016 plantinga and problem of horrendous evils 2 december 18, 2016 amin sophiamehr in fact, plantingas logical solution of evil reinforces addressing the problem of the evidential evil by pushing the problem of evil to realm of what god can actualize. Logical problem of evil internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Theodicies that argue god is not responsible for evil. Finally, moore completes his work by exposing the bs of plantingas ontological argument. If god does not exist, then we are lost without hope in a life filled with gratuitous and unredeemed suffering. The problem of evil and the free will defence the argument god is traditionally understood to be perfectly good, omnipotent and omniscient. But whether this offers a real solution of the problem is another question. If god is omnipotent, then god is able to eliminate evil.