1. Quick Quiz
Cave, Sun, Evil

2. Allegory of the Cave What do the shadows on the cave wall represent?
qualities
the dead
humanity’s fears
sub-atomic particles
ordinary physical objects

3. Allegory of the Cave
What do the objects observed outside the cave represent?
qualities
physical objects
Forms
atoms and molecules
philosophers

4. Allegory of the Cave What does the sun represent outside the cave?
the Form of yellow
the unseen law of nature
for Form of the Good
the Philosopher King
nothing, or, it represents itself

5. Allegory of the Cave
When someone enlightened returns to the cave, Plato says they will be:
bumbling and confused about cave life
angry with those in the cave
desirous to return to the world above
a and b
a and c

6. Analogy of the Sun What does the Form of the Good do?
creates all the other Forms
makes objects visible
makes objects intelligible
a and b
all of the above

7. Analogy of the Sun The Principle of Self-Diffusion says:
all evil will self-destruct
entropy increases over time
The Good wears away over time
The Good logically must share
good people will reproduce

8. Analogy of the Sun In the Scala Naturae, the top animal is: man angels
the king
the pope
the lion

9. Analogy of the Sun The Principle of Sufficient Reason says:
a good person never acts whimsically
the universe must have a cause equal to or greater than itself
every thing must have a cause equal to or greater than itself
nothing exists or happens without a cause equal to or greater than itself
everything that exists (except God) or happens (except Free Choice of the Will) has a cause equal to or greater than itself

10. The Problem of Evil The problem of evil is … How can God prevent evil?
How can God permit us to do evil?
How can God exist given that evil exists?
How can God do evil?
How much evil will God allow?

11. The Problem of Evil The conclusion of the argument from evil says
No God exists
No God is good
No God is powerful
No all-good, all-powerful God exists
No all-knowing God exists

12. The Problem of Evil Why can’t God just restrain evil-doers?
Because God is not that powerful
Because God cannot look on evil, and so cannot know who does evil
Because God promised everyone, including evil people, freedom
Because then no one’s actions would be morally significant
Because restraining evil-doers is wrong

13. The Problem of Evil
The problem with claiming evil is just a lack of goodness is …
Everyone knows evil exists
Evil is necessary for moral development
Fighting evil is the whole reason for religion
‘Lack of goodness’ works just as well in the argument
It is insulting to folks who’ve experienced evil

14. The Problem of Evil
The theistic response to the fact that there are possible worlds where creatures have free will but do right all the time is:
That is not a fact
Those worlds are boring
If creatures don’t sin, why would we need God?
God can’t create those worlds, only creatures can
Freedom implies disobedience

15. The Problem of Evil
In the argument, unnecessary evils are those evils that …
Are consequences of our free choices
We can easily do without
We call ‘natural evils’, like earthquakes and tornados
Arise from mistakes and misunderstandings
The devil and his demons produce

16. The Problem of Evil
The trouble with probabilistic arguments from evil is:
All probability is subjective
We can’t establish any associations between God and evil
Probability only results in opinion, not knowledge
Probability only works in mathematics, not religion
There is no trouble; that is the argument that works

17. Answers
2. E 3. C 4. C 5. E 6. E 7. D 8. E
9. B, C, D, & E acceptable 10. C 11. D 12. D 13. D 14. D 15. C 16. B