1. Epistemology Revision Issues with JTB:  Justification is not a necessary condition of knowledge  Truth is not a necessary condition of knowledge  Belief is not a necessary condition of knowledge

2. Module content Philosophy of Religion The concept of God Arguments for God’s existence The Problem of Evil Religious Language

3. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL Philosophy of Religion

4. Today’s lesson You will learn how to explain the problem of evil:  How can we reconcile God’s omnipotence, omniscience and supreme goodness with the existence of physical/moral evil?

5. The Problem of Evil If God is supremely good, then he has the desire to eliminate evil. If God is omnipotent, then he is able to eliminate evil. If God is omniscient, then he knows that evil exists and knows how to eliminate it. Therefore, if God exists, and is supremely good, omnipotent and omniscient, evil does not exist. Evil exists. Therefore, a supremely good, omnipotent and omniscient God does not exist.

6. Practice question Outline the problem of evil (5 marks)

7. Types of Evil Moral Evil  The wilful acts of human beings (such as murder, rape, etc.) Natural Evil  Natural disasters (such as famines, floods, etc.) and illnesses

8. Task – 15 minutes Using p.45-46 in your booklets, explain the following philosophers’ views on the problem of evil: David Hume Augustine Antony Flew DostoevskyAquinas

9. David Hume Augustine Antony Flew DostoevskyAquinas

10. The Logical Problem The logical problem of evil claims that the existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of God In other words, the following claims cannot all be true:  God is supremely good  God is omnipotent  God is omniscient  Evil exists If any three of the claims are true, the fourth must be false This is a deductive argument – it claims to show that that logically God cannot exist

11. The Inconsistent Triad Evil and suffering exist God is benevolentGod is omnipotent These three facts are logically inconsistent p.45

12. The Evidential Problem The evidential problem of evil makes a weaker claim It claims that the amount and distribution of evil is good evidence that God does not exist This is an inductive argument – it claims to show that it is very unlikely that God exists

13. Can we solve the logical problem of evil? J.L. Mackie considers a series of common responses to the logical problem of evil which, he argues, do not solve the problem:  Good can’t exist without evil  The world is better with some evil in it than it could be if there were no evil  Evil is due to human free will

14. Task – 30 minutes In threes you will look at one of the responses and arguments about it You will create a poster explaining the response and its criticisms, using mainly pictures and symbols One person from your three will stay at your table to explain what you have done The other people will leave your table and go to discover what the other groups have been looking at These people will then return to share the new information with their group 20 mins 10 mins

15. Can we solve the logical problem of evil? Good can’t exist without evil The world is better with some evil in it than it could be if there were no evil Evil is due to human free will