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The problem of evil is the philosophical question of how to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient God. [1][2][3] There are currently differing definitions of these concepts. The best known presentation of the problem is attributed to the Greek philosopher Epicurus.
Religious responses to the problem of evil are concerned with reconciling the existence of evil and suffering with an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient God. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The problem of evil is acute for monotheistic religions such as Christianity , Islam , and Judaism whose religion is based on such a God.
Alvin Plantinga's free-will defense. Alvin Plantinga's free-will defense is a logical argument developed by the American analytic philosopher Alvin Plantinga and published in its final version in his 1977 book God, Freedom, and Evil. [ 1 ] Plantinga's argument is a defense against the logical problem of evil as formulated by the philosopher J ...
The Irenaean theodicy is a response to the evidential problem of evil which raises the problem that, if an omnipotent and omnibenevolent (all-powerful and perfectly loving) God exists, there should be no evil in the world. Evidence of evil in the world would make the existence of God improbable. [7] The theodicy attempts to demonstrate that the ...
In his article, "The Problem of Evil and the Problem of Injustice," Schlesinger wrote that the problem of why there is evil and suffering in the world vanishes when one considers the characteristics of the world the creator wished to maximize. [9] These characteristics include the opportunities for man to do good.
Epicurean paradox. Bust of Epicurus, c.3rd/2nd century BC. The Epicurus paradox is a logical dilemma about the problem of evil attributed to the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who argued against the existence of a god who is simultaneously omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent.
Leibniz. In Leibniz's works, the argument about the best of all possible worlds appears in the context of his theodicy, a word that he coined by combining the Greek words Theos, 'God', and dikē, 'justice'. [2] Its object was to solve the problem of evil, that is, to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering in the world with the existence ...
Some theodicies also address the problem of evil "to make the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-good or omnibenevolent God consistent with the existence of evil or suffering in the world". [24] The philosopher Richard Swinburne says "most theists need a theodicy, [they need] an account of reasons why God might allow evil to occur."