David Hume God And Evil Essay

Words: 1560
Pages: 7
Open Document
A Perfect God in a World with Evil?

The orthodox theist defines God as an all-good, all-knowing and all-powerful being (Rauhut 186). An all-knowing God would be aware of all the evil and all the suffering taking place in this world. An all-powerful God would have the capacity to do something to prevent this evil and this suffering. Finally, an all-good God would have the want and the will to prevent all that evil and suffering and do something about it("Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy" ).This brings us to the question: If such a God exists, why is there so much evil in our world? While David Hume argues that an all-good, an all-knowing and an all-powerful God has to prevent evil and suffering from our world in order to exist(Rauhut 186), …show more content…
He published many important works like A Treatise of Human Nature, Of Morals, the two-volume Essays, Moral and Political, Three Essays (his first book not published anonymously) and many more which were all very important for atheism. David Hume believes that if God was really all-good, all-knowing and all-powerful, the world should really be a better place where evil would not exist because God would have the power and will to prevent it and evil would therefore not be a part of our world. David Hume holds that it is not rational to believe that this kind of being exists because an all-powerful, all-good and …show more content…
This professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame is one of the most important Christian philosopher of this age. This American philosopher provides many arguments to prove the existence of God. He published many important books for philosophy like God and other minds, The Nature of Necessity and Warranted Christian Belief. Alvin Plantiga believes that such a being does exist and that the argument of The Logical Problem of Evil against the existence of God is not valid. He believes that evil and the existence of God are actually logically consistent which means that it is possible that evil and God exist at the same time (Rauhut 16) and the simple fact that God gave us free will explains the problem of evil. Plantinga holds that there is then no logical contradiction between the existence of this perfect God and the existence of evil (Manis 153). He believes that even an all-good, all-knowing and all-powerful being does not have complete control over human beings because he gave them the power of freedom of their own actions (free will) (Rauhut 188). Therefore, God knew that free human beings will not always act the right way and suffering and evil will often result from it and evil is a necessary issue for good things to happen. This then shows that the logical problem of evil is resolved because God is then not unwilling to prevent suffering and evil but does it so
Show More

Related Documents: David Hume God And Evil Essay

Leibniz and the Problem of Evil Essay

THE PROBLEM OF EVIL BY OKOJIE E. PETER epo4escriva@yahoo.com MAY 2013 INTRODUCTION For many centuries, philosophers have been discussing evil, how it exists in the world, and how this relates to God. The discussion on evil and its relations to us is not an easy one though. It is commonly called the problem of evil. The problem of evil in contemporary philosophy is generally regarded as an argument for atheism. The atheist contends that God and evil are incompatible, and given that evil clearly exists…

Words 3707 - Pages 15

Essay on David Hume and Hume’s Argument

Essay question: ‘Miracles only happen to ignorant, barbarous and uneducated people’ discuss This quote, in my eyes was a very braze, rash and ignorant (yes it contradicts the statement) made by David Hume (Scottish, 1711-1776). Hume defined miracles as a ‘violation of the laws of nature’ and consequently rejected their occurrence as both improbable and impractical. This view has been supported by modern scientists and philosophers such as Atkins, Dawkins and Wiles to a certain extent. However St…

Words 2241 - Pages 9

The Design Argument - as Level Essay

is synthetic meaning that it is from observation. The argument is also inductive meaning there a number of possible conclusions. The main basis of the Teleological argument is based on a designer commonly known as ‘the classical God of theism’ (hereafter referred to as God) The outline of the design argument is that the universe has order and purpose and is regular, the complexities of the universe demonstrate some form of design, a design requires a…

Words 3129 - Pages 13

Essay on teleological argument

The Teleological/Design Argument for the Existence of God Key introductory points The teleological/design argument suggests that the world in which man lives is so complex and ordered (among other characteristics) that it could not have come about by chance. In order for it to be as we currently see the world, it must have been designed, ultimately by a designer whom some call ‘God’. It is an old argument, even predating Christianity. Kant commented that:…

Words 2828 - Pages 12

The problem of evil Essay

The problem of evil - Yawar Nasir (a). Evil is physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness and there are 3 types of evil; Natural, Moral, Combination. Natural evil is where the evil is caused by the surroundings around us (caused by nature). An example of Natural evil could be earthquakes. Moral evil is where the evil caused is by humans. An example of Moral evil could be murder whereby humans cause evil by killing each other. Combination evil is where evil caused by humans has changed nature…

Words 4461 - Pages 18

Essay 26 34 Libre

MAMMERI University of Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria. Abstract This paper seeks to demonstrate that Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is a feminist critique of male definitions of civilization. Civilization is the master word in her essay, and she exposes the vestiges of “barbarism in European” societies or civilization because of the male-centered public sphere. Yet she is optimistic as to the possibility of salvaging civilization through a project of a future enlightened society propped…

Words 4925 - Pages 20

Animal Rights Essay

answers can be either yes or no. Some would say no; how anyone can put a price on any life given by God. It is also yes; because animals are priced in stores, farms and in homes daily. Abuses affect animals in ways that may cause them to be “seriously injured or die as a result of the abuse inflicted (e.g., penetration that damages internal organs) (Ascione, 2001.p.8).” According to Rollins; “David Hume pointed out that organisms could have possibly evolved so as to be motivated to flee danger or injury…

Words 3425 - Pages 14

Muslim Spain (711-1492) Essay

Over a thousand years ago, Europe experienced one of its greatest periods of cultural enlightenment.Islam in Spain has had a fundamental presence in the culture and history of the nation. The religion was present inmodern Spanish soil from 711 until 1492 under the rule of the Arabs and Moors of al-Andalus.Islamic Spain was a multi-cultural mix of the people of three great monotheistic religions: Muslims,Christians, and Jews.For more than three centuries in Medieval Spain, Muslims, Jews and Christians…

Words 8947 - Pages 36