Premise (6) assumes that a morally perfect being eliminates all evils it can, but Plantinga shows this conflates moral perfection with a maximizing principle not entailed by theism.

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Reasons For

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Reason for

1.Moral perfection requires wisdom and justice, not necessarily the elimination of all possible evils.
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2.A being can be morally perfect while permitting evil if that evil serves greater goods like free will.
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3.Theism doesn't logically entail that God must maximize good states; it only requires moral excellence.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against

1.Eliminating gratuitous evils (those without sufficient justification) is a basic requirement of moral perfection.
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2.If a being can prevent horrendous suffering without cost, refusing to do so seems morally deficient.
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3.Plantinga's distinction collapses when we consider that true moral perfection includes caring about suffering.
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Key Terms

Conflates(in argumentation and logic): Treats two different things as if they're the same thing, or mixes them up in a way that causes confusion.
Maximizing principle(in ethics and decision theory): The idea that something (like a perfect being) must always choose the absolute best possible outcome in every situation.
Morally perfect being(in philosophy of religion and ethics): A being (like God) that always acts in the most ethically good way possible and never does anything wrong.
Plantinga: Alvin Plantinga is an American philosopher best known for his work on the philosophy of religion, particularly his arguments defending religious belief as rational and reasonable. He developed influential ideas about how people can rationally believe in God without needing scientific proof, arguing that faith and reason aren't necessarily in conflict. His work has shaped modern religious philosophy and made him one of the most important Christian philosophers of the past 50 years.
Premise: A premise is a statement or fact that you assume to be true as a starting point for reasoning or making an argument. Think of it as the foundation or building block you use to reach a conclusion—for example, "All dogs are animals" and "My pet is a dog" are premises that lead to the conclusion "My pet is an animal." Premises are essentially the evidence or claims you offer before drawing a final conclusion.
entailed(as used in logic): When one thing logically forces another thing to be true—if the first is true, the second must be true too.
theism(Distinguished from monotheism as a weaker claim about the number of divine beings.): The position that at least one god exists.

Connections

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Problem of Evil1 linked

A being can be morally perfect while permitting evil if that evil serves greater...Eliminating gratuitous evils (those without sufficient justification) is a basic...If a being can prevent horrendous suffering without cost, refusing to do so seem...Moral perfection requires wisdom and justice, not necessarily the elimination of...

Details

Type: claim
Perspectives: 2 (1 for, 1 against)
Edits: 1 edit