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    If free will were sufficient to explain natural evil, God... — Carmelics
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    Supports→An appeal to free will provides no answer to an argument from evil that focuses upon natural evils.

    If free will were sufficient to explain natural evil, God could have created a world with free creatures but without earthquakes, viruses, or predation, since these require no free choices.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.Earthquakes, viruses, and predation involve no agent choices and cause immense suffering, so cannot be justified by free will defenses.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.An omnipotent God could create physical laws permitting free choice while preventing natural disasters, since these are logically independent.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.If God permits natural evil despite lacking free will justification, this suggests either limited power or indifference to suffering.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Natural laws enabling meaningful free will may necessarily produce side-effects like disease and decay that cannot be surgically removed.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.A world without predation, disease, or geological processes might be logically incoherent or require fundamentally different physical laws incompatible with free agency.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.Natural suffering may serve purposes beyond free will—spiritual growth, moral development, or goods we cannot yet comprehend from our perspective.
      ?

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    Key Terms

    God(Classical theism; used to fix the referent of 'G' in the Bayesian formulation)
    An eternal, personal being of maximal power, knowledge, and goodness who created the universe
    Sufficient to explain(as used in logical arguments about causation)
    Enough to account for or make sense of something without needing anything else.
    free will(Kant's practical resolution of the third antinomy)
    An exemption from the laws of nature; the power of doing and forbearing
    natural evil(Used in the context of Job's suffering and Eliphaz's attempt to explain it through moral responsibility.)
    Suffering or harm experienced by a person, as distinct from moral evil caused directly by human agency.
    the Problem of Evil (implied)(as used in philosophy of religion)
    The theological puzzle: if God is all-powerful and all-good, why does suffering and evil exist in the world?

    Connections

    1 topic

    Problem of Evil1 linked

    Related

    A world without predation, disease, or geological processes might be logically i...An appeal to free will provides no answer to an argument from evil that focuses ...An omnipotent God could create physical laws permitting free choice while preven...Earthquakes, viruses, and predation involve no agent choices and cause immense s...
    +3 moreShow less
    If God permits natural evil despite lacking free will justification, this sugges...Natural laws enabling meaningful free will may necessarily produce side-effects ...

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit
    Natural suffering may serve purposes beyond free will—spiritual growth, moral de...