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    Carmelics

    A reasoning platform. Break down any belief into clear reasons, explore both sides, and weigh the evidence honestly.

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    LoyalLoyalJusticeJustice
    Made withinDC&Austin
    Statements
    321,452
    Perspectives
    108,905
    Topics
    42
    Home/Original/inverse
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    Inverse View

    It is not the case that Premise (4)—that if God is morally perfect, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil—is questionable.

    ?Set your confidence on the premises below to see your aggregate.

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.It seems possible that there might be evils that are logically necessary for goods that outweigh them.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.If some evils are logically necessary for greater goods, a morally perfect God would not necessarily desire to eliminate all evil.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.A morally perfect being optimizes for the best achievable world, not the elimination of every local bad, as Leibniz argues in Theodicy.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.Moral perfection requires acting on the all-things-considered best outcome, which may require permitting evils that constitute necessary conditions for greater goods.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.Therefore, desiring to eliminate all evil would itself be a moral imperfection if doing so would destroy outweighing goods.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reason against 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Aquinas holds that God's goodness is expressed through the ordered whole of creation, not through maximizing the welfare of each individual part.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.An agent whose desires track only part-level elimination of harm, rather than whole-system flourishing, exhibits a deficient rather than perfect moral will.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

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    Strongest counterpoint
    Explore the most compelling reason on the other side.