TiffanyPhan

Philosophypaper#2

Evil,doesitreallyexists?WeliveinaworldwhereonewouldonlyseeandthinkofGod.

Thequestioncangobackto;doesGodexists?Goddoesnotexist;itisallinthehumanmindto

believeonsomethingallpowerfultosaveusall.Ifitisntwillpower,itsjustaroutetoescapeto

trycometosomeonesshortcomings.Havingtwomainargumentswiththeproblemofevil;the

logicalproblemandtheevidentialproblem.IfGoddoesexist,thenheshouldbeomniscientand

omnipotentandextremelygood.HavingGodwouldmeantheresnotevilandiftheresevilthen

theresnoGod.

Theproblemofevilisthemainquestionifthereissuchasaviortostopthewrongfrom

thegoodandifthereissomeonetocontrolhowwelivesothatwewontgetcorrupted,tostay

innocent.Themainproblemthatoneshouldtryandanswerwhenitcomestotheproblemofevil

is;IfGodcanpreventthedestructivesufferingoftheinnocentyetchoosesnotto,Godisnot

good.IfGodchoosestopreventthesufferingbutcannot,heisnotomnipotent.IfGodcannot

recognizethesufferingoftheinnocent,heisnotwise.(Soccio,pg.235)Thisisthequestion

thatmakesonequestioniftherereallyisaGod,becauseifhedoesexistthennoneofthepeople

thathehadcreatedwouldbelivinginpoverty.Thisstatementmakesonethingtotryand

understandhowandwhatwouldhappeniftherewasntanytypeofevilintheworld,mainlya

peacefullifeandjustlivinginpeace.Theworldcannotjusthaveone,theresneedtobeboth,yin

andyangtomakeitbalance.

Evilexistsintheworld,itshumansnaturetobringthebadandthegood.Goodcannot

existswithoutevil,theonlypersonthatcanbeblamedfortheevilintheworldisourselvesand
notsomeonethatisallpowerful.Evilisanecessityinsociety,itswhatbalancetheworldout

withthegoodandtheevil.Afterall,everyonedesiresonlythosethingsthathethinksgood.

(Anselm,pg.10)AsthefoolhassaidinAnselmsMonologionandProslogion,everyonewould

onlythinkofthemselvesandGoddoesnothaveasayinanythingbecauseheisnttheonethatis

controllingapersonsaction.

TheresalotofdifferentitemstoprovethatifGodwasanallpowerfulbeingandone

thatisabletosaveeveryone,hehastohavemanydifferentqualities,heshouldbe;omnipotent

(allpowerful),omniscient(allknowing)andomnibenevolent(allgood).IfaGodismissingany

ofthesequalitiesthanhesnotGod,justanormalperson.Noonecanbeallthreeatoncewhenit

comestothegreatergoodbecauseofthegreedinapersonsheartandsoul,weallwantmore

andnotless,itsmeansthatevillivesdeepdown.Understandwhatoneunderstandsbutwedo

notseeitbecauseitsnonbeneficialtous.Itseasierinoneslifetojustpretendnottoseewhat

isinfront.

Beinghumanisjustbeingahuman,meaningthatasahumanonewouldneverknow

whentheyarelookingrightatevilorifoneisdoingtheevildeedandmayneverknow.Itsa

sortofbyproductofhavingfreewilltocontrolthedesiresofanactofevil.AccordingtoThomas

Aquinas,evilisnotagoodthingbutitissomethingthatallowsonetohavesomethingcreatable

tohumansimperfections.Thelackofgoodnessistobeevil.(Soccio,pg.236)Onedoesnt

needtobeeviltobebad,itsonethatdoesnthaveanyideawhatgoodinsocietyisthestartof

onesevil.Nooneisabletochoosetobeevil,buttheyjustdoitandmoveon.

ThetwomainpointofwhensomeoneifGodisexistingandtotellthathedoesnta

personwouldneedtohaveeitheralogicalproblemoranevidentialproblemargument.The
logicalproblemofevilissayingonecannothavesomethingwithoutanargumenthappening

withtheimpossibleincoexistence.Logicalproblemargumentisthestartofhowonewouldact

andgivereasonstowhyGodisntanuntouchablebeing,noneedforanyevidenceandjustknow

howtoworkaroundthecircleofquestions.Ontheotherhand,anevidentialproblemisgetting

examplesofhowtheworldisevilandhowitallcametobe,oneneedstohavehardcoreevident

toprove.HavingevidenceisagoodideabecauseitwillshowthatGodisntreallyaroundto

judge,howweactorworkinthelifewearegiven.

ThemainconceptofGodnotexistingcomefromthethreemainideathatGodis;all

powerful(omnipotent),allknowing(omniscient)andallgood(omnibenevolent).Thesayings

goes;IfGodwasomnipotent,heshouldbeabletopreventevilandsuffering.IfGodas

omniscient,heshouldknowabouttheevilandsufferingandknowhowtopreventit.IfGodwas

perfectlyomnibenevolent,hewouldwanttopreventallsuffering.Ifevilandsufferingexists,

thanGodiseithernotomnipotent,omniscientoromnibenevolent(lecture,02/23/2017)With

howthequoteiswritten,itsshowingthatweareallhumanandthatGodisjustafigmentof

onesimageintheirmind,becausewecanonlywanttoseethatimaginaryandnotwhatwewill

faceinrealityishardtocomprehendsinceitmeansnooneisheretosaveus,whentheres

mistakesandnotunderstand.

WithhowAnselmswritinghadgonewhenhewantedtoexplaintothefoolthatGod

doesexists.WhilethefooltellshimthatheunderstandsthedefinitionofwhatGodisbutstill

deniesitbecauseashumanswearetheonethatwillcontrolit.Anselmsteachinginawayis

tryingtoforcesomeoneintosomethinghedoesntwanttobelievebecauseofhisbeliefona

God.Nownogoodexiststhroughanother.(Anselm,pg.11)thisisshowinghowwearethe
onethatwilldecidewheretogoandnotallowanothertogoandsaythatitsallfate.Whenfate

comesintoplay,itsajumblemessandsothatiswhenwegettwosideofastoryonhowwe

shouldactandtreatGod.UsingAprioi,havingknowledgeofsomethingratherthanjust

observingeveryonewillbethereasontoallowthepersontobefreeofanyissuesandproblems

ofnotbelievinginGod.SayingthatAnselmiswrongistakingitofftoadifferentlevel,weall

haveourownbeliefsbutatthesametimeweshouldtryandbeanopenmindabouthowGodis

realandisallknowing.Godbeinginonesmindisallthatmattersevenifwethinkthatitsnot

possible.

AccordingtoSocrates,livingalifewithoutmeaningismoreevilthanonethatislivinga

lifeofevil.Beingabletoexistsinthemomentandnotthinkingaboutthepastorthefutureisthe

greatestgoodofoneslifemeaningweareabletoenjoyitall.Theevilthatliveswithinusis

wastingthetimethatwasgivenandnotlovingthelifeweareliving.Thisissayingthatitsa

personthatpicksandchoosehowtolivethelifethattheyweregiven,anotherideaandproofthat

Godisnottheonethatdecidesifweturnleftorright.

EvilwasntmadefromGod,Godjustmadeitpossibletohaveevil.Thestatementisa

contradictorybecauseGodandevilshouldnotbetogethernorhaveanyinteractions,because

onlyoneshouldbearound.Evilisintheheartofapersonisclosertorealitythantosayanall

powerfulcontrollingus.Freewillistheimportantpartofliving,sinceitwasntaplanthingto

keepthehumanslivingandenjoying.

Evilandfreewillgoeshandinhandmainlybecauseweareabletochoosehowtothe

capability,thefutureisnondetermined,alternatepossibility,deliberationandpersonhood.We

chooseandpicktheroutetogo,thesideofgoodorthesideofevilwejustneedtomakesure
thattheonlypersontohaveagiveortakeisthepersonyouseeinthemirror.Thepersonthat

saystheyseenoevilarealwaystryingtoplaytheblamegameonsomeoneelseandtheend

resultissayingitsGodsfaultthattheyarepoor.Theescapepathisgettingmoreandmoreclear

everytimesomeblamestheirmistakeonanother.Whenblaminganotherthatisnonexistence,is

thetrueevilintheworld.Onecanonlygosofartotryandavoidtheirmistakesandnotallow

morethanthat.

Weareabletochooseandhavethewilltogotothegoodrouteortheevilroute,nooneis

theretoholdyourhandtosteeroneintherightdirection.ThepersonthatchoosetosaythatGod

exitsaretheonethatwantstoblametheirmisfortuneonsomeoneelseratherthanjusttoface

theirfears.Ifandonlyif(IFF),isthereasontoliveanevilrouteforalittletoknowwhatone

wouldwanttobeabletoshowthewrongfromthelivesandlearnfromthemistakesandgrow

up.

Whenhumancomeintoexistencetheyarepureandeasytocorrupttomakethembelieve

inGodorjustlivewiththeirliveknowinggoodandevil.Theworldisabadplaceandastrong

determinationtokeeponlivingandmovingon.Thereisaninfinitewaytolive,theresalwaysa

wayandtherewillalwaysbeonesincewewanttoenjoyandnotjusthavesomeonesayyoulive

yourlife,withthewayGodhasdetermineit.Justcomeandenjoywhatyouweregivenandjust

dontlimititalltowhatonesays.Livingamalevolentlifeiswrongandnotgoodforthesoul.

Allinall,thereisnoGodthatwillexisttoholdoneshandtoguidethemthroughbut

thereiseviltoshowtheuglinessoftheworldtosomeonesothattheywillbemoredeterminedto

liveabetterlife.Godmightbesomeonethatexistinthemindsothatwewillfeelbetterabout

ourselveswhentheressomethingwrongorwhenwedonewrongdoings.Evilisalwaysthereto
dotheharminoneslifeorwillsetsomeoneupforagoodlife,itsnotclearbutitsallpossible

toliveandenjoy.Fatewillneverinterferewithoneslifeunlesstheyarewillingtojustplaythe

blamegameoverandover.Theendresultsare,theworldmayspinbutatthesametimeitsan

evilandbadplacetoliveon.Justneedtomakeagoodimpressionofhowtolivewithout

believinginanallpowerful,thatonlycomesinourmind.
 Reference:

Soccio, Douglas J. Archetypes of Wisdom an introduction to Philosophy.

Massachusetts.

Cenveo Publisher Services. 2015.

Professor Israelsens Lectures

Anselms Monologion and Proslogion