SWINBURNE A THEODICY: AN APOLOGY (EXPLANATION) OF EVIL ON THE ASSUMPTION GOD EXISTS.

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SWINBURNE A THEODICY: AN APOLOGY (EXPLANATION) OF EVIL ON THE ASSUMPTION GOD EXISTS

Richard Swinburne (born 1934)

Version of FREE WILL DEFENSE Basic idea: God gave us (and other creatures) free will (because it is good) but it leads to (moral) evil. [God freely gives up omnipotence… Also omniscience? Also Omnibenevolence?] Logic: the evil resulting from free-will is justified (outweighed) by the good.

[ Logical Background] To defeat argument from inconsistency of omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence, and evil, only possibility of consistency need be shown. Any conceivable theodicy is OK. To show God probable (or necessary), the theodicy must be shown to be probable (or necessary).

Moral Evil versus Natural Evil Moral Evil: caused intentionally by free choice of agents with free will. Example: suffering caused by violence Natural Evil: caused without intention by natural forces Example: suffering caused by earthquake Q: Is natural evil actually moral evil?

Free Will Defense & Responsibility Question: Is God responsible for evil? NO: creatures, not God, choose evil. YES: God knew the effect of giving creatures free will. Swinburne: God is responsible, but evil actually is a good thing (relative to creatures not having free will).

[ LEIBNIZ (1646-1716) ] This world is the best of all possible worlds.

Good father argument (91-2): God must give us power to do significant harm. Children must grow up to assume responsibility. [Q: Is this merely anthropomorphic? We are not perfect parents, but God is.]

What if we were free & GOOD? People must have “a certain moral depravity,…a system of desires for what they correctly believe to be evil” (Swinburne p. 92L). [Does this make evil a certainty? If so, how are we responsible for it? How can it be good for us to be depraved?]

What about innocent suffering? Suffering evil is “not a pure loss” but a “privilege” (92R-93L). Argument by analogy: privilege to die for your country [in just war]. [Assumes existence of war. Are we deluded in thinking peace is preferable to war?]

Sufferers “Rights” Violated? God does not need to ask our permission to make us suffer, because i) God created us, [and? or?] ii) God has “parental” right. (93R-94L) [Q: If you could create rabbits (children, gods), would you have the right to make them suffer without their consent?]

Natural Evil (partial explanation) i) So we can learn how to do evil (and God stay hidden); ii) Pain yields choices “that otherwise would not exist.” (95R-96L)

Animal Suffering? [Animals suffer, but have no free will, so are i) innocent and ii) not responsible for any evil.] Animals included in parallel but more minor way. (96)

Heaven? [and Hell?] Heaven (or some sort of recompense for suffering) not required, but is a fall-back argument. (97)