The Famous Problem Of Evil - 1920 Words

Medieval philosophers developed very precise notions of God and the attributes that he has, many of which are even now well-known among believers. For example, God is all-powerful (i.e., omnipotent), all-knowing (i.e., omniscient), and all-good (i.e., omni-benevolent). Other commonly discussed attributes of God are that he is eternal, that he is present everywhere (i.e., omnipresent) and that he has foreknowledge of future events. While these traditional attributes of God offer a clear picture of the kind of being that he is, many of them present special conceptual problems, particularly when we try to make them compatible them with potentially conflicting facts about the world. One of these is the famous problem of evil: how†¦show more content†¦Yet, God’s justness means that he rewards good and punishes evil. Thus, God indeed causes some suffering through punishment, but he is not the cause of evil actions themselves. The cause of evil itself, according to Augustine , is the human will, and thus all blame for it rests on our shoulders, not on Gods. We willfully turn our souls away from God when we perform evil deeds: â€Å"look for the source of this movement and be sure that it does not come from God† (On Free Choice, 2:20). Even the punishment that God imposes on us for our evil is something that we brought on ourselves, since â€Å"punishment is used in such a way that it places natures in their right order† (On Free Choice, 3:9). Thus, a first solution that Augustine offers to the problem of evil is that human will is the cause of evil and reason for divine punishment. A second and related solution is that the evil we willfully create within our souls is only a deprivation of goodness. Think of God’s goodness like a bright white light; the evil that we humans create is like an act of dimming that light, or shielding ourselves from it to create an area of darkness. It is not like we’ve created a competing light s ource of our own, such as a bright red light that we shine around to combat God’s bright white light. Accordingly, the evil that we create through our wills is the absence of good, and not a substantive evil in itself. Augustine writes, â€Å"That movement of the soul’s turning away, which weShow MoreRelatedCrozier Head, Saint Michael Trampling the Serpent --- Symbolism Within a Staff1066 Words   |  5 Pages(high-ranking angel) is battling the serpent which is the demon or satan. This figure indicate the two very opposing force between the good and evil, and as we can see that Saint Michael’s expression and the serpent biting Saint Michael’s wing shows that the battle is real. This object was made in the city of Limoges, France. At that time, the city was famous for its enamels on copper which were exported for all over Christendom. The archangel Saint Michael was an important figure in French, startedRead MoreSt. Augustine s The Problem Of Evil1143 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion: Explain how St. Augustine ultimately solves the â€Å"problem of evil† in a way that is compatible with his Christian faith. Be sure to refer in your answer to the two aspects of his solution that we discussed in class- the one centring on the nature of evil itself, the other on why we sin. Do you agree that the problem has been solved adequately? Defend your answer. Introduction: â€Å" Inside each of us there is the seed of both good and evil. It is a consistent struggle as to which one will win.Read MoreSt. Augustines important philosophical contributions to defend the philosophy of Christianity.1709 Words   |  7 PagesChristianity. One of these contributions concerned the philosophical problem of evil. Up until St. Augustines time, philosophers questioned the idea proposed by Christians that evil generated in a world created by a perfectly good God. The problem is easy enough to understand, yet slightly more complicated to solve. St. Augustine raised some fairly good propositions to offer an explanation for this question. Although the problem of evil has been answered for the most part, there are still many who disbelieveRead MoreSymbolism Of The River In Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness1091 Words   |  5 PagesHeart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness is read from the narration of Marlow, an ivory transporter who travels down the Congo. Throughout his journey, Marlow develops an intense interest in the famous ivory trader Kurtz, who is portrayed as a powerful, sage, and evil man. The story is based on Marlows experiences with the encounters hes faced with and his ability to be fickle based in these encounterments. In Heart of Darkness, we see Conrad use the river to symbolize movementRead MoreThe Slave Mortality Presented By Nietzsche In His Genealogy1396 Words   |  6 Pagesby its prevalence within modern writing. This morality allows the author to focus on the â€Å"evil enemy† (Nietzsche 39) instead of the good within humanity. This obsession with the negativity within the world has become a theme within humanities writing. Every good story must have some conflict some evil that is tearing at the good and often innocent. And it is true, that the world is full of horrible and evil ideas lurking about, however, that mentality loses the beauty that is throughout the worldRead MoreRonald Reagans Pos itive Influences1149 Words   |  5 Pagesintended to defend the United States from any nuclear weapon missile threat from other countries. This was proposed mainly to protect the U.S. from its extent threat, which was the Soviet Union at the time. 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The famous quote â€Å"life is like a game† is quite literally represented in the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as teenagers fight to death inRead MoreBeowulf - The Immortal Hero Essay1490 Words   |  6 PagesWe are Geats, men who follow Higlac. My father was a famous soldier, known far and wide as a leader of men. His name was Edgetho. His life lasted many winters; wise men all over the earth surely remember him still (260-266). Here, Beowulf was quick to explain how great his father was. He also mentioned him as a famous soldier, which seems the best way to become renowned. He was obviously proud to be the son of Edgetho, for he had no problem pronouncing it to the man. His fathers valor is the base