Privation, Teleology, and the Metaphysics of Evil

Drawing inspiration from Pseudo-Dionysius, Maximus the Confessor, and Thomas Aquinas, and in support of the definition of evil as the privation of being or goodness, this article proposes a complementary definition of evil. It argues that evil can be defined as the non-advancement of being, appetite...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lombardo, Nicholas E. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage Publ. 2023
In: Theological studies
Year: 2023, Volume: 84, Issue: 2, Pages: 293-311
Further subjects:B Appetite
B Goodness
B Natural Inclination
B Natural Evil
B Pseudo-dionysius
B Maximus the Confessor
B Evil
B Privation
B Thomas Aquinas
B Moral Evil
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:Drawing inspiration from Pseudo-Dionysius, Maximus the Confessor, and Thomas Aquinas, and in support of the definition of evil as the privation of being or goodness, this article proposes a complementary definition of evil. It argues that evil can be defined as the non-advancement of being, appetite, or natural inclination toward its proper perfection or completion. First, it explains what this definition entails, elaborates on its implications, and defends its plausibility. Second, it discusses typical objections to the privation account and shows how defining evil relative to appetite can help overcome them.
ISSN:2169-1304
Contains:Enthalten in: Theological studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/00405639231169954