...The argument which I am focusing on is titled “No One Knowingly Does Evil” and is written by Socrates. This argument concludes that those who do evil things do them involuntarily. According to Socrates it is not in human nature to choose to act in a way what one believes to be harmful, instead of a way that is good. He claimed that all wrong, or evil, is only done out of ignorance and not from the intention to do evil. This view appears controversial because people are known to occasionally commit deeds that are apparently evil either out of self-interest or acting on impulse, against their better judgment. It is at this point that we come to an important clarification. Socrates did not state that doing wrong to others is ever right, but that the motivation for such actions determines the character of the will involve. Socrates maintained that people are never motivated to bring harm to themselves. Since Socrates believed that wrongdoing always harmed the wrongdoer, he saw all wrongdoing as a mistake in judgment or an expression of ignorance. This is especially true in cases where a life full of wrongdoing never physically harms the wrongdoer. Socrates believed that the most pitiable of humans were those who lived under the delusion that their wrongdoing benefited them. Socrates saw no conflict between self-interest and morality. On the contrary, he saw virtue as the greatest benefit and maintained that immoral actions actually harmed the agent and could therefore only be committed...
Words: 1254 - Pages: 6
...beliefs, is the problem of evil. John Hick explains in his essay, “The Problem of Evil”, that this ‘crisis’ so to speak is based on three characteristics that Christians claim God has. Christians believe that God has infinite knowledge, power and love. The question that is then raised is: Why is life on earth filled with vast amounts of suffering, pain and evil if God has never-ending abilities to embrace those three characteristics? John Hick provides two answers to this question. He believes that evil is essential to soul making. Hick explains that evil provides humanity with important qualities such as appreciation, compassion and unselfishness. His essay suggests that pain and suffering is beneficial for humanity because through evil, individuals become worthy of being God’s children and worthy of an eternal life after death. Hick concludes his argument by stating human creation is incomplete and that it is each human’s responsibility to work for perfection by learning morals and values through suffering. Hick’s second answer is based on the concept of free will. God creates humans in such a way that they are free. Hick claims that for this to be true, humans must have the freedom to choose between right and wrong, good and evil, and whether or not to embrace God in life. Humanity must be completely free from God’s control, in order to truly be free. This puts humanity in a place where it is susceptible to sin, which encourages evil. Hick believes that this...
Words: 1963 - Pages: 8
...The Problem of Evil William Lane Craig Examines both the logical and probabilistic arguments against God from suffering and evil. The problem of evil is certainly the greatest obstacle to belief in the existence of God. When I ponder both the extent and depth of suffering in the world, whether due to man’s inhumanity to man or to natural disasters, then I must confess that I find it hard to believe that God exists. No doubt many of you have felt the same way. Perhaps we should all become atheists. But that’s a pretty big step to take. How can we be sure that God does not exist? Perhaps there’s a reason why God permits all the evil in the world. Perhaps it somehow all fits into the grand scheme of things, which we can only dimly discern, if at all. How do we know? As a Christian theist, I’m persuaded that the problem of evil, terrible as it is, does not in the end constitute a disproof of the existence of God. On the contrary, in fact, I think that Christian theism is man’s last best hope of solving the problem of evil. In order to explain why I feel this way, it will be helpful to draw some distinctions to keep our thinking clear. First, we must distinguish between the intellectual problem of evil and the emotional problem of evil. The intellectual problem of evil concerns how to give a rational explanation of how God and evil can co-exist. The emotional problem of evil concerns how to dissolve people’s emotional dislike of a God who would permit suffering. Now...
Words: 3493 - Pages: 14
...Problem of Evil (Theodicy) An age-old question that has been and is being asked from various religions, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds is how can a loving and good God allow evil to come into the world? It is a problem that has come up several times by mostly atheists and non-believers, but few Christians are asking it as well. This paper is going to address the problem of evil, why bad things happen to good people, and state the theodicies that explain and answer the problem. The problem of evil has been brought up and used as an argument by non-believers for a long time. How can a loving and good God allow evil to come into the world? They claim that these two Christian beliefs are self-contradictory and that nothing can make sense of it. They state that Christians believe that God is all-powerful, that God is good and loves His people, and that an all-powerful God is capable of doing anything and everything. They say that This question has been used to unjustifiably contradict the Christian worldview in its attempt to prove that it is flawed. They are biased and desire to convince other people and themselves that their worldview is correct by discrediting the Christian religion and/or the Bible. (Feinberg, 414). The deductive reasoning that atheists have are that if God is all powerful, kind and generous, humans are the cause of evil, an all powerful God is fully capable of doing anything and everything, then God should be able to remove evil and he will...
Words: 904 - Pages: 4
...PHIL 1F90 (Fall 2013): Fall term essay assignment. ric brown Your essay should address just one (1) of the following questions. Do not answer both questions! Question 1. What exactly is the “problem of evil”? What is the difference, if there really is any difference, between so-called “moral evil” and so-called “natural evil”? How does John Hick, in his essay “Problem of Evil”, set about solving the problem of both “moral evil” and “natural evil”? Do you think that either, or perhaps both, of Hick’s solutions is really able to solve what appears to be an unique problem of evil which the astro-physicist priest has to deal with in Arthur C. Clarke’s story, “The Star”? Question 2. Do you think that the EDS pilot Barton did to Marilyn what he ought to have done -- given the situation? Do you think that Narvason is able to morally justify his position with regard to what becomes of Marilyn using the principle of utility? What changes does Narvason make to Godwin’s story “Cold Equations” to help convince you of the merits of his ethical position? Are they successful? What changes to Godwin’s story would you make before you could reasonably argue that Marilyn’s life should in fact be spared by the EDS pilot? Justify. Value: 15%. Due Date: A hard copy of your essay must be submitted sometime before 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 24th, 2013 in GL 263 (drop box). Electronic copies sent by email to your TA or to the instructor will not...
Words: 790 - Pages: 4
...What exactly is the “problem of evil”? What is the difference between so-called “moral evil” and so-called “natural evil”? How does John Hick, in his essay “Problem of Evil”, set about solving the problem of both “moral evil” and “natural evil”? Do you think that either, or perhaps both, of Hick’s solutions is really able to solve what appears to be an unique problem of evil which the astrophysicist priest has to deal with in Arthur C. Clarke’s story, “The Star”? Intro In John Hick’s essay, Problem of Evil, and Arthur Clark’s short story, The Star, the reader is lead to think about the evils that are prominent in this world, and the reality of God in association and contrast with that evil. The writings are deeply philosophical and require the reader to think beyond surface level thought. This paper will discuss the problem of evil and moral evil versus natural evil, as described in John Hick’s essay, and the solutions that he presents and their ability to solve the problem that Clarke outlines in The Star. Problem of Evil The “problem of evil” that will be discussed in this paper refers to a common debate in the philosophical world of thought. Hick presents the problem in very basic terms: The problem of Evil has traditionally been posed in the form of a dilemma: if God is perfectly loving, He must wish to abolish evil; and if He is all-powerful, He must be able to abolish evil. But evil exists; therefore God cannot be both omnipotent and perfectly loving. (Thought...
Words: 832 - Pages: 4
...Short Essay on Topic Hamartiology: The Problem of Evil Evil and its’ affects our obvious in our world and lives. Everyone, regardless of beliefs, must at some point deal with the reality of pain, disease, and disasters that seem to flow from evil. Just being a Christian does not erase these realities or a need to find resolve. All of us must deal with these questions in a honest way, or be content to deny the understanding our minds wish for. This understanding must unify the basic beliefs we have in God: If God is all powerful and good then why would He allow evil to exist? Logic would take us to remove one of these characteristics of God. Either He is not really all powerful or good. This is where some might deny God’s sovereign power. How can He allow something bad if He is good and able to stop it? This leads us to see that it is not just one issue, but a host of questions pop up in this arena. We find ourselves faced with moral evil and natural evil, just to pick two of the issues. Moral evil is defined as “evil produced by the activity of moral agents” and natural evil as “evil that occurs...int the natural order” (Elwell). These are seen daily in our world. Moral evil shows up in murder, greed and in the hearts of us all. Natural evil are those catastrophic events that are outside a moral agents’ influence. Therefore moral agents consistently choose that which is contrary to God, and sin. This is because the first man and woman fell at the original temptation (Gen....
Words: 816 - Pages: 4
...use the argument known as the Problem of Evil. The argument focuses on the theory that if there is a God that exists that is omnipotent, meaning all powerful, omniscient, meaning all knowing, perfectly good, and capable of everything, then the concept of evil should not exist. The problem is, our world is plagued with forces that do us harm, whether it be due to human fault, intentional or accidental, or nature, these events cause humans to suffer. If these things exist, then that would mean that there couldn’t be a God, because someone that is all powerful and perfectly good would not allow evil to exist. The Problem of Evil has been discussed by many philosophers for a while, and there are some that argue that there is more to the Problem of Evil. A theodicy is a philosopher’s attempt to answer the question of why God, who is supposedly all powerful and perfectly good, allows the manifestation of evil. Philosophers typically try to solve this problem by reconciling the traits that are associated with God, with the occurrence of evil in the world. The first theodicy, which is known as the Augustinian theodicy, is based on the writings of Augustine of Hippo, who was a Christian philosopher. He argues that the problem isn’t with God, but lies within the people that inhabit the planet. He claims that in the beginning, God created a perfect world where no evil or suffering existed, and that due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve that evil exists as a punishment for their sins. While...
Words: 658 - Pages: 3
...simple fact, evil exists and it can be seen every where in today’s society. No matter how old or young, no matter where we look, whether it is in our textbooks or comic books, on TV or in our video games, evil is always there. There is evil of different types, with different causes and effects, with one event being more evil and has the power to stir up different emotions than the last. By examining opinions offered by people like John Hick, we can understand why God allows evil and the reasons extreme cases of destruction, as in “The Star” by Arthur C. Clarke to exist in our world or anywhere. There is no denying that evil has a tight grasp around the world we live in. It is this simple fact which defines the problem of evil. However, to understand this problem one must first understand evil itself. Webster’s English Dictionary defines evil as morally objectionable behaviour which causes harm, destruction, or misfortune. That being said, there are two different types of evil, moral and natural evil, each of which having their own unique characteristics. Moral evil, or wickedness, is the pain and suffering which is a direct result brought about from human action. Since humans are free to choose and act as they wish, they are free to choose to do good or they can choose to do evil. Most crimes and sinful act which cause pain and suffering, such as rape, murdered, and war are all considered morally evil acts. The second category of evil is natural evil. Natural evil is the pain...
Words: 1389 - Pages: 6
...Bobby Rappach Mr. Klockner Problem of Evil The Problem of Evil I feel that the problem of evil isn’t evil itself but people and their applications of evil in the world. When thinking of evil the first thing that comes to mind is sin and the devil and it should be normal to do so. Satan was the first to sin and it became a legacy that every human tends to do and some more than others. Satan may have directly disobeyed God with the intention to disobey him but people now don’t sin to disobey God but because it’s not seen as a bad thing. Sin may come on different levels and put into 7 separate categories that all sins fall under but choosing to sin is still sinning. The common denominator in every sin is the person choosing to do it, so people are the problem with evil. If you look at evil as a living thing or something that can manifest itself through different forms of human interactions than it becomes easier to understand. Its almost like a parasite that can only exist with humans help. People and evil create a symbiotic relationship and can not exist fully without the other. We could live without evil in a sense, but we wouldn’t be the people we are now, but we would no longer have free will because free will is the only way that lets us come in contact with evil. Evil on the other hand has very few ways to show itself if people didn’t have a free will therefore an access to evil because evil can’t manifest in an animal because they don’t know right from wrong, only...
Words: 970 - Pages: 4
...On the Origin of Evil Where does evil come from? This is a question that I find most interesting. In our modern day civilization educated by liberal institutions everybody speaks as if they are certain of what evil is. So what is it? At first glance the thing that sticks out to me when I hear this question is: Asking where evil comes from is like asking where hunger comes from. Where does the desire for procreation, for sexual reproduction come from? Is a lion evil? I am sure it could be viewed as such in the eyes of a gazelle. Lions kill other lions indiscriminately. They will kill young and old alike in competition for food, mates, or territory. Should every creature have the disposition of a humble lamb? Is a human being killing another human being evil? What if it’s a matter of self-defense? What if one acquires glory or good fortune for oneself and one’s people by killing? King David rose to glory and won the battle for the Israelites by killing Goliath. As stated in 1 Samuel, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands” (ch.18 v.7: via Bible gateway.com) Israel’s prosperity was only made possible because King David was a masterful warrior king that won many battles. Likewise war and conquest played a vital role in the founding of our country. And we became an economic superpower because of the good fortunes that came as a consequence of World War II. In this light killing could be viewed as a good thing. Accordingly things are only good or bad depending...
Words: 1869 - Pages: 8
...Throughout much of the novel Grendel faces a defining struggle- one between good and evil. He spends much of his years attempting to discover, and even fight his destiny. Grendel starts out the same as all humans, innocent and curious. He spent his childhood alone, his mother being the only creature that would keep him company. Grendel repeatedly tries to communicate with the humans, but consistently failed. As he becomes older and wiser, he starts to realize that he will not ever be able to get the Shieldings to see eye to eye with him. They will always see him as a disgusting, terrible monster. Eventually, Grendel is able to embrace this and fulfill his destiny as the Destroyer and Wrecker of Kings. At first, Grendel is a young, naïve creature, exploring the world around him just as young creatures do. He is not yet aware of his evil destiny; he is just lonely. Upon his first interaction with the Shieldings, Grendel is stuck in a tree, dying. The men discover him, and decide that he is hungry for pig. They are unsure if he is friendly or not: “‘Pig!’ I tried to yell. It scared them… the king snatched an ax from the man beside him and, without any warning, he hurled it at me” (113). The humans attacked until Grendel’s mother saved him, and Grendel came to a horrible realization ”The world resists me and I resist the world… That’s all there is…I exist, nothing else” (115). At this point, Grendel is starting to view the world very differently, and is discovering...
Words: 1521 - Pages: 7
...ultimately responsible for everything including evil as stated inIsa.45:7 "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and createevil: I the Lord do all these things". In the Bible, the story of Jobillustrates that according to specific Christian beliefs, all have sinnedand fallen short of the perfection of God (Romans 3:23), and because we arenot perfect and commit sin, the punishment is mortality. Many religious andphilosophical traditions agree that evil behavior itself is a transgressionthat results from the imperfect human condition. The doctrine of originalsin, as articulated by Saint Augustine's interpretation of Saint Paul,provides that the fall caused a fundamental change in human nature, so thatall descendants of Adam are born in sin, "For all have sinned and fall shortof the glory of God" and can only be redeemed by divine grace. Sacrifice wasthe only means by which humanity could be redeemed after the Fall andbecause "God so loved the world that he sent his only son (Jesus Christ whowas without sin and died on the cross as the ultimate redemption for the sinof humankind) that whoever believes in him should not perish, but haveeverlasting life".Evil has also been an important aspect to the existence of free willand human agency. Others argue that evil itself is ultimately based in anignorance of truth (i.e. human value, sanctity, divinity). A variety ofEnlightenment thinkers have alleged the opposite, by suggesting that evil islearned as a consequence of tyrannical...
Words: 2311 - Pages: 10
...What is the “Problem of Evil”? What is the difference, if there is a difference, between so-called “moral evil” and “natural evil”? How exactly does John Hick, in his essay “Problem of Evil”, solve the problem of both “Moral evil” and “natural evil”? Do you think that either or both, of Hick’s solutions is really able to solve what appears to be a unique problem of evil in Arthur C. Clarke’s short story, “The Star”? Unhappiness, as a whole, is a challenge to the idea of good. When one hears or discovers about the disasters or the pain and suffering of wars, violence, earthquakes and killings it is safe to ask one’s self, what the problem of evil is. Investigating the short story “Problem of Evil” written by John Hick the author talks about the differences in “moral evil” and “natural evil” while defining the main question with god and evil. Furthermore in “moral evil” and “natural evil” John Hicks explanations are studied throughout the short story titled The Star by Arthur C. Clark. The problem that is most debated among believers and non-believers of God is the problem of evil. This debate is due to the belief of the omnipotence of God, saying how he is all loving, all powerful and all knowing. For all these meanings of God, there is a major defect, if the almighty is capable of revealing these abilities then how could he let evil enter into the world. If he is all- loving, then why is there so much hatred revolving around us and ultimately, If he is all-powerful, then should...
Words: 1443 - Pages: 6
...Is God Evil? Alan Gleisinger Walden University Is God Evil? “God either cannot or will not prevent evil. If God cannot prevent evil, then God is limited in power. If God will not prevent evil, then God is limited in benevolence. But if God is not limited in power or benevolence, why is there evil in the world?” Epicurus (Chaffee, 2013) Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t understand why people believe in God when there is so much pain and suffering in the world?” This question, and others similar in it’s message are becoming more and more reasonable things to be asked. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and if God is good as he is believed to be in the traditional Western conception of God, then why would he allow evil to be such a prominent force in the lives of all of mankind (Soloman & Higgins, 2014)? In this paper I will show how the various arguments regarding the existence of God relates to the problem of evil in our world today. I will also show how these arguments relate to the different theories that try to answer questions about the problem of evil. With any attempt to answer the question of how can God exist with so much evil in the world, one must first have a clear understanding of what the problem of evil is. Simply stated, the problem of evil is: God is omnipotent (all-poweful), God is good, and evil still exists. Evil has two general categories, natural evil and moral evil. (Chaffee, 2013). Natural evil consists human suffering...
Words: 856 - Pages: 4
