A companion to the problem of evil
Justin P. McBrayer (Editor)
The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil presents a collection of original essays providing both overview and insight, clarifying and evaluating the philosophical and theological "problem of evil" in its various contexts and manifestations. Features all original essays that explore the various forms of the problems of evil, offering theistic responses that attempt to explain evil as well as discussion of the challenges facing such explanations Includes section introductions with a historical essay that traces the developments of the issues explored Acknowledges the fact that there are many problems of evil, some of which apply only to those who believe in concepts such as hell and some of which apply to non-theists Represents views from the various religious traditions, including Hindu, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim
1 online resource
9781118607978, 9781118608012, 9781118608104, 9780470671849, 9781306373326, 111860797X, 1118608011, 1118608100, 047067184X, 1306373328
851285722
Print version:
Intro
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Notes on Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I: PROBLEMS OF EVIL
1: A Brief History of Problems of Evil
Introduction
Another Footnote to Plato
"Epicurus' Old Questions" and Ancient Skepticism
Augustine and the Manichean Problem of Evil
The Argument from Evil in Aquinas's Summa
Calvin, Descartes, and the Early-Modern Obsession with Evil
Bayle and the Insolubility of the Problem of Evil
The First Logical and Evidential Arguments from Evil
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
2: The Logical Problem of Evil: Mackie and Plantinga
Mackie's Logical Problem of Evil
Plantinga's Free Will Defense
Assessing Plantinga's Free Will Defense
Interworld Plenitude and Intraworld Plenitude
Two Objections
3: A New Logical Problem of Evil
Three Commitments of Theism
Developing the Proof: The Modeling Approach
Developing the Proof: The Motives Approach
Some Final Objections
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
4: Rowe's Evidential Arguments from Evil
Two Cases
Rowe's Arguments
Initial Comments on Rowe's Arguments
Framework and Assessment
A Central Issue
A Further Consideration
Acknowledgments
5: Explanation and the Problem of Evil
Humean Arguments from Evil (by Paul Draper)
Reflections on Explanation and Draper's Argument (by Trent Dougherty)
6: A Carnapian Argument from Evil
Tooley's First Argument
Tooley's Second Argument
Problems Facing Tooley's Second Argument
Problems Facing Tooley's First Argument
Conclusion
7: The Experience of Evil and Support for Atheism
Richard Swinburne's Principle of Credulity
William Alston's Doxastic Practice Approach
Alvin Plantinga's Proper Functionalism
Acceptance and Provisional Acceptance
Noetic Reconstruction
Value-Attitude Reformation. Why Mediated Support Works
Acknowledgments
8: The Problem of Animal Pain and Suffering
Neo-Cartesian Defenses
Why the Neo-Cartesian Defenses Fail
Nomic Regularity and the Progression from Chaos to Order
Concluding Remarks
9: Hell and the Problem of Evil
Introduction
The Problem Stated
The Traditional View of Hell
The Vagueness Objection
The Proportionality Objection
Nontraditional Views of Hell
The Choice Model
Universalist Strategies
Acknowledgment
10: The Problem of Apparently Morally Abhorrent Divine Commands
Richard Swinburne and the Canaanites
Eleonore Stump and the Amalekites
Inscrutable Reasons? Unknown Goods?
Acknowledgment
11: God Because of Evil: A Pragmatic Argument from Evil for Belief in God
The Argument
Entrenched Practices and Attitudes
Realism
Horrendous Evils
Ad Hominem Argument, Asserted
Nontheistic Alternatives
Personality, How Fundamental?
God Because of Evils?
Part II: THEODICIES
12: A Brief History of Theodicy
Irenaeus (circa 130-202) and Soul-Making
St. Augustine (354-430), Privatio Boni, and Free Will
Leibniz (1646-1716) and the Best of All Possible Worlds
Joseph Butler (1692-1752) and the Imperfect Comprehension of God's Government
George W.F. Hegel (1770-1831) and the Cunning of Reason
C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), Free Will, and God's Megaphone
A.C. Ewing (1899-1973) and the Principle of Organic Unities
Alvin Plantinga (b.1937), Free Will Defense, and "O Felix Culpa" Theodicy
Richard Swinburne (b. 1934) and the Goods that Outweigh Evil
Looking Back
Acknowledgments
13: Counterpart and Appreciation Theodicies
Necessary Conditions for a Successful Theodicy
The Counterpart Theodicy
The Appreciation Theodicy
Acknowledgments
14: Free Will and Soul-Making Theodicies
Hick's Theodicy. Hick on Free Will
Hick on Soul-Making
Swinburne's Theodicy
Swinburne on Free Will
Swinburne on Soul-Making
Challenges Facing Free Will and Soul-Making Theodicies
The Challenges of Free Will
The Challenges of Soul-Making
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
15: The Connection-Building Theodicy
Introduction
The CBT Explained
Fruitfulness and Implications
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
16: Best Possible World Theodicy
Three Puzzles and Their Independence
Motivating the Puzzles for Theists
The Hypothesis of a Best Possible World: The Letter and the Spirit
The Multiverse
The Multiverse and the Second and Third Inconsistent Triads
The Multiverse and the First Inconsistent Triad
Acknowledgments
17: Providence and Theodicy
Introduction
Three Theories of Providence
Theodicies, Defenses, and Theories of Providence
A Patently Partisan Epilogue
Acknowledgment
18: A Christian Theodicy
The Character of Religious Experience
Suffering as Religious Experience
The Value of Relationships
Divine Passibility
Problems for the Divine Intimacy Theodicy
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
19: Toward an Indian Theodicy
The Psychology of Karma
Nyāya School of Logic and Theism
The Vedānta Theodicy
Conclusion
20: Earth's Epistemic Fruits for Harmony with God: An Islamic Theodicy
Introduction
The Best Life Depending on Harmony with God
Submission to God as the Necessary Condition for a Good Human Life (The Meaning of Islam)
Human Epistemic Privilege and the Need to Be Trained
God's Epistemic Aid
The Epistemic Fruits of the Earthly Testing Ground
Acknowledgments
21: On Constructing a Jewish Theodicy
Retribution
Atonement, Trial, Sufferings of Love
Mazzal
Kabbalistic Views
Soul-Making Theodicy. Antitheodicy: The "Halakhic" or Existentialist Response
Summary
Acknowledgments
22: Feminism and the Problem of Evil
Introduction
Defining Feminism
Women and Evil
Gendering the Subject
Structural Nature of Evil
Challenging the "Purpose" of Evil
Evil in Relationships
Evil and the Concept of God
Conclusion
23: Process Theism and Theodicies for Problems of Evil
Traditional Theodicy
Process Theodicy
24: Theodicy in a Vale of Tears
Methodological Preliminaries
Classifying Theodicies
Stump's Theodicy
Reply to Stump
Stump: Further Reflections
Nothing But the Best
The Objection from Divine Simplicity
The Plenum Objection
Conclusion
Acknowledgment
25: Antitheodicy
The Morality of Theodicy
Nonmoral Objections to Theodicy
Acknowledgments
Part III: SKEPTICAL RESPONSES
26: A Brief History of Skeptical Responses to Evil
Introduction: Contemporary Skeptical Responses Contextualized
Skeptical Theism and the Book of Job
Medieval Commentaries on Job
Skeptical Theism and Apophatic Theology
Cartesian Skepticism
Conclusion
27: Peter van Inwagen's Defense
Van Inwagen and Skeptical Theism
Pointless Evils and Practical Sorites Problems
Objections to van Inwagen's Defense
Applications: Universalism and the Fall
Acknowledgments
28: A Defense Without Free Will
Skepticism about Free Will
The Free Will Theodicy
The Retributive Punishment Theodicy
Agnosticism (or Skeptical Theism)
Defense Hypotheses the Free Will Skeptic Can Accept and which are Compatible with Morality
Acknowledgment
29: Skeptical Theism, CORNEA, and Common Sense Epistemology
Introduction
Skeptical Theism
CORNEA
Objections to CORNEA: Closure and Induction
Skeptical Theism and Common-Sense Epistemology
Conclusion. 30: The Moral Skepticism Objection to Skeptical Theism
The Evidential Argument from Evil
Skeptical Theism
Skeptical Theism and Radical Skepticism
Skeptical Theism and Moral Obligation
Skeptical Theism and God's Commands
Acknowledgments
31: The Global Skepticism Objection to Skeptical Theism
Skeptical Theism and Knowledge of God
Skeptical Theism and Knowledge in General
Acknowledgments
32: Theistic Objections to Skeptical Theism
The Evidential Argument from Evil
Skeptical Theism
Problems for Beliefs about Sin and Morality
Problems for the Theology of Divine Goodness
Problems for Natural Theology
Problems for Belief in Miracles
Conclusion
Acknowledgment
33: Skeptical Theism and the "Too Much Skepticism" Objection
What Is Skeptical Theism?
The Too-Much-Skepticism Objection
Global Skepticism
Skepticism About Value
Skepticism About (Other) Knowledge of God
Moral Paralysis
Acknowledgments
Index
Includes index