1650 – 1729
William King (1650–1729) was an Irish Anglican bishop and philosopher, serving as Archbishop of Dublin. He is best known for his theodicy work 'De Origine Mali' (1702), which defended divine goodness against the problem of evil and influenced later thinkers including Leibniz. His philosophical writings engaged questions of necessity, free will, and the limits of human reason.
Authored 'De Origine Mali' (1702), an influential early modern theodicy
Argued for the limits of demonstrative reasoning in grounding empirical knowledge
Influenced Leibniz's formulation of theodicy in 'Théodicée' (1710)
Served as Archbishop of Dublin and was a prominent figure in Irish intellectual life