By philosophers Problem of evil

1 philosophers

1.1 epicurus
1.2 david hume
1.3 gottfried leibniz
1.4 thomas robert malthus
1.5 immanuel kant

by philosophers

the earliest statement of problem of evil attributed epicurus, uncertain.


epicurus

epicurus credited first expounding problem of evil, , called epicurean paradox , riddle of epicurus , or epicurian trilemma :

there no surviving written text of epicurus establishes formulated problem of evil in way, , uncertain author. attribution him can found in text dated 600 years later, in 3rd century christian theologian lactantius s treatise on anger of god lactantius critiques argument. epicurus s argument presented lactantius argues god all-powerful , all-good not exist , gods distant , uninvolved man s concerns. gods neither our friends nor enemies.

david hume

david hume s formulation of problem of evil in dialogues concerning natural religion:

[god] willing prevent evil, not able? impotent. able, not willing? malevolent. both able , willing? whence evil?

[god s] power allow [is] infinite: whatever wills executed: neither man nor other animal happy: therefore not happiness. wisdom infinite: never mistaken in choosing means end: course of nature tends not human or animal felicity: therefore not established purpose. through whole compass of human knowledge, there no inferences more , infallible these. in respect, then, benevolence , mercy resemble benevolence , mercy of men?

gottfried leibniz


gottfried leibniz

in dictionnaire historique et critique, sceptic pierre bayle denied goodness , omnipotence of god on account of sufferings experienced in earthly life. gottfried leibniz introduced term theodicy in 1710 work essais de théodicée sur la bonté de dieu, la liberté de l homme et l origine du mal ( theodicic essays on benevolence of god, free of man, , origin of evil ) directed against bayle. argued best of possible worlds god have created.

imitating example of leibniz, other philosophers called treatises on problem of evil theodicies. voltaire s popular novel candide mocked leibnizian optimism through fictional tale of naive youth.

thomas robert malthus

the population , economic theorist thomas malthus stated in 1798 essay people health problems or disease not suffering, , should not viewed such. malthus argued, nothing can appear more consonant our reason beings come out of creative process of world in lovely , beautiful forms should crowned immortality, while come out misshapen, minds not suited purer , happier state of existence, should perish , condemned mix again original clay. eternal condemnation of kind may considered species of eternal punishment, , not wonderful should represented, sometimes, under images of suffering.

malthus believed in supreme creator, considered suffering justified, , suggested god should considered pursuing creatures had offended him eternal hate , torture, instead of merely condemning original insensibility beings that, operation of general laws, had not been formed qualities suited purer state of happiness.

immanuel kant

immanuel kant wrote essay on theodicy. suggested, states william dembski, successful theodicy must prove 1 of 3 things: [1] 1 deems contrary purposefulness of world not so; [2] if 1 deems contrary, 1 must consider not positive fact, inevitable consequence of nature of things; [3] if 1 accepts positive fact, 1 must posit not work of god, of other beings such man or superior spirits, or evil.

kant did not attempt or exhaust theodicies address problem of evil. claimed there reason possible theodicies must fail. while successful philosophical theodicy has not been achieved in time, added kant, there no basis successful anti-theodicy either.

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