Problem of evil

The problem of evil is a philosophical and logical problem. The problem is that if God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving, then evil should not exist in the world. The problem of evil is often discussed as part of moral philosophy. The problem is most often discussed by theologians, people who study and practice religion. Theologians and philosophers have developed a number of ideas concerning the problem of evil. Some of the ideas claim to prove God's existence, despite the existence of evil. Other ideas claim that the problem of evil disproves God's existence. Philosophers and theologians still study the problem of evil and its implications.

Background

Philosophers and theologians have studied and debated the existence of God for centuries. Often they use logic to try to prove or disprove God's existence. Philosophers often question ideas or concepts that others take for granted. They test commonly held beliefs using logic, which evaluates ideas, beliefs, and assumptions to ensure that people arrive at logical and possible conclusions. In logic, people use data from their experiences and deduce ideas about the world from this data. For example, a logician might think about herself and consider whether she has a brain. She has not actually seen her own brain, so she does not have raw data. Yet, she can make a logical conclusion in a few steps:

1. Maria is a living human.
2. All living humans have brains.
3. So, Maria has a brain.

Many theologians and philosophers use similar methods to study the problem of evil. They list facts that they have deemed to be true and attempt to draw logical conclusions from the data. Logic has been used to study the problem of evil for many years. Many theologians have developed conclusions about the existence of evil that satisfy them. Other people believe that the problem of evil has not been sufficiently answered and that it disproves the existence of God—or at least an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God.

Many theologians believe that the problem of evil is one of the most convincing arguments against the existence of God. Many people have given up on their faith in God because they cannot understand why evil exists in a world created by God. However, theologians have used logic to develop explanations for the existence of evil.

Overview

When studying the logic of the problem of evil, philosophers often list these four statements as a starting point:

1. If God exists, God is omniscient, or all-knowing.
2. If God exists, God is all-powerful.
3. If God exists, God is morally good and loving.
4. Evil and suffering exist in the world.

To some philosophers, thr fourth statement seems to contradict the first three statements. If God was all-knowing, all-powerful, and morally good and loving, he would not allow evil to exist in the world. Other philosophers, however, point out that nothing about the four statements is contradictory. Some people say that the four statements can make logical sense if people believe that some evil and suffering serve a higher purpose. For example, parents are supposed to protect their children from pain. Nevertheless, a parent would allow a doctor to administer an immunization to a child. The immunization causes pain, but it helps prevent worse suffering in the future. Some theologians argue that evil and suffering can exist in the same way. Some evil and suffering can support a greater good and, therefore, are not incompatible with the existence of God.

Many people who believe that the problem of evil is evidence against God say that the amount and distribution of evil are actually the problem. These people point out, for example, that animals suffer in droughts and wildfires and that innocent children contract diseases and die. They believe that this type of evil and suffering disproves God's existence.

Others believe that free will can explain the existence of all evil in the world. The most common argument to prove the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God, despite the fact that evil and suffering exist, is the free will defense. Theologians and philosophers who believe in the free will defense state that God did not actually create evil. Instead, humans sinned against God, or chose to do something morally wrong, so their free will allowed evil to exist. Many theologians—Christian theologians in particular—believe that evil does not exist on its own but is instead a choice that people make or an act they perform. Thus, God did not create evil. Evil was and is in the world because humans chose and choose it. All the suffering and evil in the world are a direct result of humans' choosing evil.

Another argument in favor of the free will defense is that God allowed humans to have free will because without free will, the good things in life would not actually be good. Just as people believe that some suffering makes them appreciate the good in life, some theologians and philosophers argue that having free will makes life worthwhile, and it would not be worthwhile if humans had no free choice and were, therefore, like robots.

Others believe the free will defense is flawed. They argue that the defense does not work because an all-powerful God would be capable of creating a world in which humans would still have free choice but would not be able to choose something evil or morally wrong. Proponents of the free will defense claim that this thinking is flawed because God cannot do something that is illogical. These philosophers state that God's being all-powerful is not negated by God being unable to do things that are illogical. Could God stop existing? Could God create a rock so heavy that even he could not lift it? Could God create a round rectangle? Many theologians claim that the answer to these questions must be no, because any yes answer is illogical and could not exist. Many also point out that if people only have “good” choices then they do not truly have free will. Some philosophers argue that the option to choose evil is a necessary component to true free will.

Bibliography

Adams, Marilyn McCord, and Robert Merrihew Adams, editors. The Problem of Evil. Oxford UP, 1990.

Beebe, James R. "Logical Problem of Evil." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/evil-log/. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Craig, William Lane. "The Problem of Evil." Reasonable Faith, www.reasonablefaith.org/the-problem-of-evil. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

“The Free Will Defense.” University of Notre Dame, www3.nd.edu/~jspeaks/courses/2008-9/10100/‗LECTURES/13%20-%20free%20will%20defense.pdf. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Keller, James A. Problems of Evil and the Power of God. Routledge, 2007.

“Kinds and Origins of Evil.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 10 Dec. 2021, plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil-kinds-origins/#:~:text=Both%20metaphysical%20and%20empirical%20evil,%2C%20Privation%2C%20and%20Real%20Property. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Milne, Peter. "What Is Logic and Why Do Philosophers Study It?" Philosophy Vade Mecum, cas2.umkc.edu/philosophy/vade-mecum/whylogic.htm. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Tooley, Michael. "The Problem of Evil." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 3 Mar. 2015, plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

van Inwagen, Peter. The Problem of Evil. Oxford UP, 2008.