EVIL AND OMNIPOTENCE J.L.MACKIE

INTRO AND ADEQUATE SOLUTIONS Explain why Mackie believes that God being omnipotent, omnibenevolent and evil existing cannot work together. What two additional premises to the argument does Mackie add in paragraph 4? Whose theodicy mentioned the idea that evil was merely the ‘privation of good’? Why would many people disagree with the idea that evil is only an illusion – it may help to give an example to help explain this one. From Mackie’s arguments, what can you tell about what his position on belief in God is? (is he a theist, an atheist or an agnostic?) How is the essay itself structured?

1 – EVIL IS A NECESSARY COUNTERPART TO GOOD How do theists argue that evil is a necessary counterpart to good? How does Mackie believe that this solution limits God’s omnipotence? What did Descartes think about God’s omnipotence? (see notes on Paradox of the Stone) What did Aquinas think about God’s omnipotence? What is the problem with restricting God with logical (think about who created logic)? What does ex-nihilio mean and where would you refer to it in your essays?

1 – EVIL IS A NECESSARY COUNTERPART TO GOOD Mackie argues that if evil and good are necessary counterparts, they only exist relative to each other. What is the problem with saying that God’s goodness is only relative to something evil? What example/s could you use to explain the idea that some things appear to have necessary counterparts but they can also exist absolutely? How does Mackie argue that ‘great and small’ do not work in the same way as evil and good (hint, think back to the premises he added in paragraph 4) Mackie says that even if we need evil to highlight what good is, we would only need a small amount – how does this fit with the amount of evil that we actually have?

2 – EVIL IS NECESSARY AS A MEANS TO GOOD Give an example of how you could explain that good can only be caused by evil. How does saying good can only be caused through evil limit God’s omnipotence? What is the problem with restricting God by causal laws?

3 – THE UNIVERSE IS BETTER FOR HAVING EVIL IN IT Which theodicy spoke of evil making us better people? Which do theists consider to be more important, first or second order goods? Give an example of a second order good Give an example of a second order evil

3 – THE UNIVERSE IS BETTER FOR HAVING EVIL IN IT How do theists argue that first order evil is necessary for second order good? What is Mackie’s criticism of the idea of second order goods being more important than first order ones and what other part of the course can we link this to? (this is a topic that you hae studied in ethics) What is Mackie’s second criticism of changing our understanding of God? What does Mackie consider to be the fatal criticism of this solution?

4 – EVIL IS DUE TO HUMAN FREE WILL What do theists believe that God’s two choices were in designing humans? What does Mackie believe was God’s third choice in designing humans? What is it called when we are presented with only two options to choose between when in fact there is a third? Why does Mackie believe that God is ultimately responsible for evil, even though moral evil is the exercise of human’s free will? (hint – think about character)

4 – EVIL IS DUE TO HUMAN FREE WILL What is the Paradox of Omnipotence? What does Mackie compare to God’s omnipotence to try and explain his point? How do theists attempt to solve the Paradox of Omnipotence? Why does Mackie think that the theist’s response to the Paradox of Omnipotence is flawed?