The Problem of Evil
Theodicies attempt to show that evil is (or at least might be) logically necessary for certain greater goods.
True
Philosophers sometimes attempt to reconcile evil with the traditional concept of God by appealing to the importance of freewill.
True
Early Christian philosopher who advocated the privation view of evil and author of the City of God is:
Augustine
A theodicy is an attempt to use the existence of evil as an argument for the nonexistence of God.
False
According to Augustine, the deformity of sin is so great that it mars the entire universe and makes the whole of creation hideous.
False
Augustine thinks the universe would be a better place if it didn't contain parasites and dangerous animals.
False
The existence of evil is sometimes used as an argument against atheism.
False
The privation view of evil is the view that there is no evil.
False
The problem of evil is sometimes presented as a dilemma between God's goodness and God's justice.
False
The so-called "problem of evil" is the philosophical attempt to prove that evil really exists.
False
Theodicies often attempt to show our world contains occurrences of unnecessary evil.
False
War is an example of a natural evil.
False
Philosophers sometimes attempt to reconcile evil with the traditional concept of God by appealing to the role evil plays in the building of character or "soul-building".
True
Early Christian philosopher who developed a theodicy stressing the importance of moral development, learning from experience, and "soul-building" is:
Irenaeus
The philosopher who believed that, since an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good creator exists, this must be the best of all possible worlds is:
Leibniz
The philosopher who coined the word "theodicy" and wrote a book by that title is:
Leibniz
The advocates of theodicy accept the traditional concept of God (that is, that God is an all-good, all-powerful, all-knowing being).
True
The problem of evil arises from the apparent conflict between evil and the traditional concept of God.
True
The problem of evil is not a problem for those who believe that God is not all-good.
True
The problem of evil is not a problem for those who believe that God is not all-powerful.
True
A tornado destroying a town is an example of a natural evil.
True
According to Augustine, a flea has more intrinsic value than a chest full of gold.
True
According to Augustine, there is a difference between our preferences for certain things insofar as they are convenient or useful for our plans and an objective appreciation of their actual worth based on their rank in the hierarchy of being.
True
Advocates of the "soul-building" theory have sometimes explained natural evils as a necessary condition for the development of virtue.
True
One way to explain natural evils is to tie them to the moral evil committed by supernatural agents such as fallen angels.
True
