Ignorance, Instrumentality, Compensation, and the Problem of Evil

Some theodicists, skeptical theists, and friendly atheists agree that God-justifying reasons for permitting evils would have to have an instrumental structure: that is, the evils would have to be necessary to secure a great enough good or necessary to prevent some equally bad or worse evil. D.Z. Phi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Adams, Marilyn McCord 1943-2017 (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: 2013
In: Sophia
Year: 2013, Volume: 52, Issue: 1, Pages: 7-26
Further subjects:B Instrumental reasons
B Compensation
B Appeal to ignorance
B Horrors
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Some theodicists, skeptical theists, and friendly atheists agree that God-justifying reasons for permitting evils would have to have an instrumental structure: that is, the evils would have to be necessary to secure a great enough good or necessary to prevent some equally bad or worse evil. D.Z. Phillips contends that instrumental reasons could never justify anyone for causing or permitting horrendous evils and concludes that the God of Restricted Standard Theism does not exist—indeed, is a conceptual mistake. After considering Phillips’ and other objections in the neighborhood, I argue that the Expanded Theism of Christian theology does forward a God who ‘digs in’ and eternally answers for horrors.
ISSN:1873-930X
Contains:Enthalten in: Sophia
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s11841-012-0346-9