David Hume famously expressed the Problem of Evil in his his book, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779). The book was published after Hume's death, because attacking religious beliefs was considered a sensitive subject.
The book takes the form of a play, in which three characters debate religion. The Problem of Evil is discussed in parts 10 and 11.
the rock of atheism - David Hume |
Is he [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil? - Philo
Whatever he wills is executed: But neither man nor any other animal are happy: Therefore he does not will their happiness - Philo
He is never mistaken in choosing the means to any end: But the course of nature tends not to human or animal felicity: Therefore it is not established for that purpose - Philo
Nothing can shake the solidity of this reasoning, so short, so clear, so decisive - Philo
Prior probability involves asking whether anyone would conclude that God existed from looking at the universe if they weren't already religious. Hume imagines a stranger arriving in our world, someone with no preconceptions about what to expect. Would someone like that look at out universe and conclude it to be the work of a good God?
I love Hume's sci-fi idea of the "Stranger" visiting our world and seeing evil and suffering for the first time. It's as theme that turns up a lot in Star Trek and superhero comics.
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Is the world considered in general…different from what a man…would, beforehand, expect from a very powerful, wise, and benevolent Deity? - Philo
1. Pain
Since believers often giving physical abilities like "sight" as evidence for God, then physical abilities like "feeling pain" count against God. Philo argues pain does not seem necessary because living creatures are just as motivated by pleasure. Why not have a reduction in the amount of pleasure rather than the sensation of pain? Philo concludes that it seems that we were created with the purpose of feeling pain - but this makes a good God less likely.. |
The ichneumon fly, which implants it larva into helpless caterpillars, disturbed Charles Darwin's belief in God
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3. Nature is Cheap
All animals have only what is absolutely necessary for survival. This is nature being parsimonious (stingy). If any of those things fail, the animal’s life becomes miserable. We could have been given more than what we need to survive. This includes physical advantages (like being much tougher physically and healing faster) as well as moral and intellectual advantages (eg. why aren't we naturally cleverer and more hard-working?). The world is difficult enough without having to deal with handicaps like ignorance, stupidity, disease and disability. |
Why can't we have Wolverine's mutant healing factor?
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In what respect, then, do [God's] benevolence and mercy resemble the benevolence and mercy of men? - Philo
YES
Hume establishes that the Logical Problem of Evil is an a priori (from definition) proof that God cannot exist because his characteristics contradict each other. If God existed, there would not be evil, but since there is evil, God (as religious believers define him) cannot exist.
Hume uses the Evidential Problem of Evil to show that, even if God isn't impossible, he's still very unlikely. The idea of the "Stranger" visiting our world illustrates that no one would conclude that God exists purely from considering the evidence. There are many ways in which the universe could contain less suffering and which don't involve any sort of logical contradiction or loss of goodness.
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NO
Hume (as Philo) asserts the Logical Problem of Evil but doesn't defend it. He ends up proposing a form of Deism - that God exists, but without the moral perfection ascribed to him by traditional religion. There are many theodicies (solutions) which explain why Gopd might permit evil.
Hume deliberately ignores doctrine-based theodicies and doesn't consider the Afterlife, the Fall or the activity of Satan - but these are very important theodicies for most religious believers. Moreover, Hume concentrates almost exclusively on happiness (defined as a lack of physical suffering), but a good God might be more concerned with other things (like freewill or soul-making).
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