SavannahGoodman

WRT101
Essay2

TheProblemofEvil
TheProblemofEvil,alsoknownastheProblemofSuffering,isanargumentagainstthe
existenceofGod.Itclaimsthattheexistenceofevilandsuffering(pain,death,hardship,etc.)
donotmatchupwiththeideaofaclassicaltheismGod,whoistostandasallknowing,all
powerfulandacompletelygoodGod.AGreekphilosopher,Epicurus,gavetheearliest
statementontheProblemofEvilwhichhappenstobeatrilemma,IsGodwillingtoprevent
evil,butnotable?ThenHeisomnipotent.IsHeable,butnotwilling?ThenHeismalevolent.Is
Hebothableandwilling?Thenwhencecomethevil?IsHeneitherablenorwilling?Thenwhy
callHimGod?ItwasanAustralianphilosopher,JohnLeslieMakie,whoreformulatedwhat
Epicuruswastryingtosay,whichisnowknownastheInconsistentTriad.Thecollectionof
threestatementscannotlogicallybetrueallatthesametimewithoutleadingtosomesortof
contradiction:1.Godisallgood(Benevolent),2.Godisallpowerful(Omnipotent)and3.Evil
exists.MakieexplainsthatifGodiswillingtoremoveallevil,becauseHeisbenevolent,and
Godisabletoremoveallevil,becauseHeisomnipotent,thenplainlyevilshouldnotexist.But
itisobviousthatevildoesexist;Therefore,Goddoesnotexist.BothEpicurusandMakie
supportthisformoftheLogicalProblemofEvilasadeductiveargument,whichclaimstoprove
thatGod'sexistenceislogicallyantitheticwithevil.Akeypartisanoftheevidentialformofthe
ProblemofEvilwasanAmericannamedWilliamRowe.Theevidentialformdoesnotclaimthat
Godsexistenceisabsolutelyincompatiblewiththeexistenceofevil,ratherthepresenceofevil
makesGodsexistenceunlikelyordoubtful.Thisisaninductiveargumentthatdoesnotclaimto
proveitsconclusion.ForthesakeofthispaperwewillfocusontheLogicalProblemofEvilas

expressedbyEpicurusandMakiewhicharebrokendownintothreedifferentpremises:
Premise1Evilandsufferingexists,Premise2Godisalllovingandallpowerful,andPremise3
Anallknowing,allpowerfulandcompletelygoodGodwouldremoveallevilandsuffering.
Premise1statessimply,evilandsufferingexists.Despitethefactthatthisisobviously
true,wemustnotthinkofevilasanactualthingthatexists.Oneunderstandingofevilisthe
absenceofgood;justasdarknessisthenamegivenwhenthereisanabsenceoflightorsilence
isthenamegivenwhenthereisanabsenceofsound.Darkness,silenceandevilarenotathing
initselfsoitcannotbesaidtotrulyexist.Anotherviewofevil,commoninEasternreligions,is
thatofhumanillusion.Evilisthenamewegiveaparticularsituationwhenourowngreedand
selfishmotivesarenotappeased.
Premise2declares,ifGodexiststhenHeisalllovingandallpowerful.Religious
followerssuchasJews,ChristiansandMuslimswouldagreewiththisstatement,Godisall
lovingandallpowerful.Regardlessoffaith,manypeoplewoulddisagreewiththisstatementof
God.MaybeGodisnotallloving.DeismisthebeliefofanimpersonalGodtowhichHe
holdsnotraitsofgoodnessortheactoflovebecausethesetraitsonlycorrelatewithpersons.
MaybeGodisnotallpowerful.SomereligionsbelieveGodisomnipotentandthiscould
possiblybethereasonwhyHecannotanddoesnotpreventevilfromoccurring.
Premise3pronounces,thatanallknowing,allpowerfulandcompletelygoodGod
wouldremoveallevilandsuffering.ThislastpremiseisthemostcrucialpointoftheProblemof
Evil.Brieflyquestionthisassumption;Godwouldwanttoorisabletoceaseallsufferingand
evil.Fromareligiousstandpoint,youwouldpracticetheideathatGodhasaplanforyouand
HehasalegitimatereasonforyourcontinuoussufferingandasaresultGodcanbringabout

somehighergood.Furthermore,somearguethatGodandallhiswillsimplycannotremove
suffering.Notbecauseheisnotallpowerfulbutbecauseitislogicallyimpossible.Itis
logicallyimpossiblejustasitwouldbetohaveaworldwithupbutnodownorlightbutno
dark;Aworldwithgoodbutnoevil.Simplyputimpossible.
Inconclusion,theclaimsofevilandsufferingdonotmatchupwiththeideaofa
classicaltheismGod.Withthisnewlyformulatedtrilemmaexplained,itisobvioustoseethat
thisisanargumentagainsttheexistenceofGod.EvilexistssoGoddoesnot.Thethree
statementscannotallbetrueatthesametimewithoutcontradiction;Benevolence,
Omnipotence,andevil.Godiswillingtoremoveallevil,becauseHeisbenevolent,andGodis
abletoremoveallevil,becauseHeisomnipotent,thenevilshouldnotexist.Butitdoes;
Therefore,Goddoesnotexist.