Explaining Evil: Four Views

Description

In Explaining Evil four prominent philosophers, two theists and two non-theists, present their arguments for why evil exists. Taking a "position and response" format, in which one philosopher offers an account of evil and three others respond, this book guides readers through the advantages and limitations of various philosophical positions on evil, making it ideal for classroom use as well as individual study. Divided into four chapters, Explaining Evil covers Theistic Libertarianism, Theistic Compatibilism, Atheistic Moral Realism and Atheistic Moral Non-realism. It features topics including free will, theism, atheism, goodness, Calvinism, evolutionary ethics, and pain, and demonstrates some of the dominant models of thinking within contemporary philosophy of religion and ethics. Written in accessible prose and with an approachable structure, this book provides a clear and useful overview of the central issues of the philosophy of evil. Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 8 Notes on Contributors......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 A word on “Evil”......Page 14 Summary of the discussion......Page 17 Notes......Page 19 Chapter 1: Evil and Agent-Causal Theism......Page 22 Making sense of evil......Page 23 Making space for evil......Page 25 Conclusion......Page 37 Notes......Page 38 Paul Helm......Page 40 Michael Ruse......Page 43 Erik J. Wielenberg......Page 47 Paul Helm......Page 52 Michael Ruse......Page 54 Erik J. Wielenberg......Page 56 Notes......Page 58 Chapter 2: Evil and Christian Classical Theism......Page 60 Why does evil occur?......Page 62 How does evil occur?......Page 65 Rational perplexity and belief policies......Page 70 A final word......Page 74 Notes......Page 76 Response to Paul Helm......Page 77 Michael Ruse......Page 80 Erik J. Wielenberg......Page 83 Notes......Page 87 Michael Ruse......Page 88 Richard Davis......Page 90 Erik J. Wielenberg......Page 92 Note......Page 93 Chapter 3: Evil and Atheistic Moral Skepticism......Page 94 Natural evil......Page 95 Defending Darwin interlude......Page 98 Genetic determinism......Page 102 Moral evil......Page 105 Justification......Page 110 Notes......Page 113 Response to Michael Ruse......Page 115 Paul Helm......Page 119 Erik J. Wielenberg......Page 122 Notes......Page 127 Reply to Critics......Page 128 Paul Helm......Page 129 Erik J. Wielenberg......Page 131 Chapter 4: Evil and Atheistic Moral Realism......Page 134 Nonnatural ethical properties and basic ethical facts......Page 136 Evil is directly robustly caused by certain natural features of the universe......Page 142 The evil of dehumanization......Page 145 Conclusion......Page 149 Notes......Page 150 Response to Erik J. Wielenberg......Page 151 Paul Helm......Page 155 Michael Ruse......Page 159 Notes......Page 162 Metaphysical concerns......Page 163 Epistemological concerns......Page 165 Notes......Page 169 Evil......Page 170 Free Will......Page 171 Ethics......Page 172 Bibliography......Page 174 Index......Page 184