If such a creator exists, then there can be no evil. This is a metaphysical idea about the structure of reality. As the first known presentation by the greek philosopher epicurus, as attributed and made popular by david hume, puts it. Evil and david humes the problem of evil 926 words cram. The theistic concept of god as supremely powerful, intelligent, and good makes the problem very difficult because such a being, it would seem, would make a. Learn more about his life and ideas in this article. One only needs to read wiesels night to glimpse some of the horrifyingly powerful injustice that occurs. This refers to the view that evil is a measure and result of our separation from god.
If god know under what circumstances evil occurs, has ability to prevent it, and wants to prevent it, then there would be no evil in world. This theme is in the background of the selection from hume s dialogues concerning natural religion that deal with the problem of evil. Hume is widely considered to be the materialist big bad wolf that gobbled up paley and cleared the way for sciences war against religion it is often pointed out that hume denied cause and effect, but in craigs kalam cosmological argument p141 he comments even hume himself confessed that his academic denial of the principle. Many traditional rabbinic authorities viewed the holocaust as just another example of jewish suffering and interpreted the event using the covenantal model. The problem of evil 393 since hume, there have been attempts to solve the problem of evil by attacking or reinterpreting one of the first four assumptions. Humes empiricism brought no less emphasis on the topic but did, however, generate dramatically disparate conclusions. Does the problem of evil present an insuperable difficulty to belief in god or can it be answered defend your answer. Despite the enduring impact of his theory of knowledge, hume seems to have considered himself chiefly as a moralist. In the dialogues hume opens his discussion of the problem of evil by having philo the sceptic run through a long catalogue of the variety and extent of misery and suffering in this world. In this chapter we will tackle several of the main problems of evil confronting the theist, including logical and evidential ones. Although there may be many arguments such as william paleys teleological argument that may supply evidence to contradict david humes and bertrand russells theory. No this wouldnt definitely prove the notion that voltaire was the first to think of the problem, but it would serve as evidence in favor of the proposition, and this is a. Part of the palgrave philosophy today book series ppt.
An important new book on how we can still believe in a god of love and confront the problem of evil in the world. Countering in particular the teleological concept, hume attacks theism mercilessly. God is almighty, god is perfectly good, and evil exists. For some time, however, there has been a need for a collection of readings that adequately represents recent and ongoing writing on the topic. Of all the issues in the philosophy of religion, the problem of reconciling belief in god with evil in the world arguably commands more attention than any other. The book takes the form of a play, in which three characters debate religion. If such a creator exists, then there can be no evil p3. Humes fundamental problem of evil philosophy cambridge core.
Realizing that cruelty is present in the lives of the most innocent, lead me to assert that evil is a real problem as it intervenes between the harmonic and idealistic view. The problem of evil refers to the challenge of reconciling belief in an. Response to the problem theists have articulated defenses, but generally cant advance theodicies complete explanations for evil. One is cleanthes, the defender of the argument from design and opponent of the cosmological argument. For augustine, the measure of all existence was god.
My top 5 books on the problem of evil picks from john stackhouse, author of can god be trusted. The problem of evil and the existence of god duration. The monotheistic god of christianity, judaism and islam assumes the divine qualities of omnipotence, omniscience and omni benevolence. Selected readings has been the most widely recognized and used anthology on the subject. Lewis, god, freedom, and evil by alvin plantinga, a grief observed by c. Evil is not evil from gods view, the infinite view. The evil that appears to humans as part of the best of all possible worlds is not so evil from the divine view gods eye view. In the problem of evil by fryodor dostoevsky, ivan mentions how children pay for their parents wrongdoings and its unjust as the children are pure and at no fault. Dialogues concerning natural religion 1779 part 11. Using three fictional charactersdemea, cleanthes and philowho are debating the problem the evil, hume indeed seeks to show that one cannot demonstrate that god is all good and all powerful using human experience and human understanding alone. The problem of evil the philosophical problem of evil is the challenge of reconciling belief in god with evil in the world. The problem of evil by dostoevsky 711 words 123 help me.
The problem of evil is usually seen as the problem of how the existence of god can be reconciled with the existence of evil in the world. It is my opinion, i own, replied demea, that each man feels, in a manner, the truth of religion. This is an excerpt from david hume s posthumously published dialogues concerning natural religion. The problem of evil is the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient god. Bayle and hume alike seemed to publish their works on the problem of evil after voltaire. In fact, humes views on religion were so controversial that he never held a. This volume fills that need, offering the most uptodate collection of recent scholarship on the problem of evil. I think the statements presented in the dialogues to prove or describe the existence of evil does not. God does not exist as a consequence of this it follows that either god is not. Throughout history, people have asked how it is possible to reconcile gods infinite goodness, wisdom, and power with the presence of evil in the world. The problem of evil for theists was how to reconcile suffering with a benevolent god. In chapter ten of his book dialogues concerning natural religion, david hume discusses the problem of evil. While epistemology may be his primary battleground, the problem of evil.
These arguments are well indeed evident in david humes the problem of evil as well as russells teapot. However, the existence of evil and suffering in the world provides a challenge to the loving god of classical theism. In all determinations of morality, this circumstance of public utility is ever principally in view. Mill, for example, suggested a radical weakening of 1 and 2. Instead of the manichean view that evil existed outside humanity as an invasion, he posited the view that evil only existed to the extent that we do not acknowledge and live within gods word and law. The problem of evil is one of oldest and most intractable problems in the philosophy of religion. Project muse voltaire, hume, and the problem of evil. One cannot hold all three beliefs without contradiction. Voltaire, hume, and the problem of evil johns hopkins university. It is traditionally presented in a challenge to the christian conception of the deity. My top 5 books on the problem of evil christianity today. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content peter kivy voltaire, hume, and the problem of evil voltaires candide is subtitled optimism. David hume famously expressed the problem of evil in his his book, dialogues concerning natural religion 1779.
Philo tells us that so long as we admit that god is incomprehensible there is no problem here at all. These conclusions, however, were not advocated by the eminent 18th century philosopher, david hume. Selected readings, second edition ebook written by michael l. The problem of evil oxford readings in philosophy 1st. A benevolent and omnipotent creator does not exist c. The position maintained here understands humes treatment of the problem of evil as a. The problem simply stems from basic beliefs or assumptions pertaining to the attributes of god. As you will recall, the dialogues have three characters. Hume s dialogues concerning natural religion and the problem of evil. The problem of evil is one of the most discussed topics in the philosophy of religion. The problem of evil is discussed in parts 10 and 11. Augustine, in his book confessions, recognised this problem. The problem of evil david hume humanities libertexts.
The book was published after humes death, because attacking religious beliefs was considered a sensitive subject. If god is 3o, then he would know when evil will occur, be able to prevent its occurrence, and want to do so. Hume on the problem of evil madeline burleson college in dialogues concerning natural religion, david hume successfully proposes three plausible responses any human may generate when considering the nature and existence of god, and personifies these responses through three characters. Hume solved the problem of evil by claiming that the divine was amoral but not by denying gods existence which he needed in order to. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the problem of evil.
Hume on religion stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Just ask and you can get many people to agree to a claim such as. Michael, john, and ken start by making a distinction between the logical problem of evil and the evidential problem of evil. This text is in the public domain and may be freely reproduced. If any two of these are true, the third one should be false. Problem of evil, problem in theology and the philosophy of religion that arises for any view that affirms the following three propositions. References are by part and paragraph number, using the text and numbering at. Humes fundamental problem of evil volume 89 issue 4 james tarrant. Hume holds that the evidence of the problem of evil counts much more. Hume is not particularly concerned with this strong version of the problem of evil. David hume 17111776, dialogues concerning natural religion humes thesis what hes trying to prove. Hume and flew the fact that this world is full of pain and suffering has probably elicited more distrust of deity than anything else i can presently think of. Misery and evil as a motivation for religion i am indeed persuaded, said philo, that the best and indeed the only method of bringing every one to a due sense of religion, is by just representations of the. Problem of evil, the problem of reconciling the existence of evil with the.
John argues that it is logically impossible for a good, all powerful god to exist if there is evil, ken that it is unlikely that a good, all powerful god exists if there is evil. If a book can answer hume, it can answer most skeptics today. Many people will tell you that evil is a necessary part of the world. God either wishes to take away evils and is unable.
David hume philosopher and champion of materialism, 17111776. Does hume accept this argument, and its consequences. Humes fundamental problem of evil cambridge university press. David hume, scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist known especially for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism. It is about an impossibly naive young man who suffers incredible misfortune, while counselled by his teacher, pangloss, to perceive the hidden benefits that this merely apparent misfortune and misery produce.