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    The material world is good, not evil. — Carmelics
    Statements
    321,452
    Perspectives
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    Home/Natural Theology
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    The material world is good, not evil.

    Natural TheologyProblem of Evil
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    2 reasons for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    2 perspectives
    Reason for 1 of 2
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    • 1.According to Plotinus (Enneads I.8), evil is not a positive substance but a privation of form and goodness, meaning matter is not intrinsically evil.
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    • 2.If matter lacks positive evil content, then the material world formed from it inherits only the positive qualities imposed by the Demiurge's ordering activity.
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    • 3.A world constituted by privation-of-evil and positive formal structure is, by definition, a good world rather than an evil one.
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    Reason for 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.In Aristotle's hylomorphism, matter is pure potentiality that becomes determinate and good only through actualization by form (Metaphysics IX).
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    • 2.The material world, insofar as it exists and is actualized, is form-bearing and thus participates in goodness proportionate to its degree of actuality.
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    • 3.Therefore the existing, structured material world is good, since its very existence as structured demonstrates the victory of actuality over mere indeterminate potential.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.The material world is ordered due to the dominance of the highest principle, the Good.
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    • 2.What is ordered is good.
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    • 3.Therefore the material world is good despite matter itself being bad.
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    Topics

    Natural TheologyProblem of Evil

    Connections

    2 topics

    Virtue Ethics1 linkedDivine Attributes1 linked

    Related

    A world constituted by privation-of-evil and positive formal structure is, by de...According to Plotinus (Enneads I.8), evil is not a positive substance but a priv...If matter lacks positive evil content, then the material world formed from it in...In Aristotle's hylomorphism, matter is pure potentiality that becomes determinat...
    +5 moreShow less
    The material world is ordered due to the dominance of the highest principle, the...The material world, insofar as it exists and is actualized, is form-bearing and ...Therefore the existing, structured material world is good, since its very existe...

    Similar

    Therefore the material world is good despite matter itself being bad.91%The world is as good as possible despite the existence of recalcitrant...73%Human beings are not purely material things.73%What seems to be evil in the world of Appearance is, for all practical...73%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: numenius
    View source passageHide passage
    Such an argument shows that Numenius has strong views about the ontological status of matter, the basis, he supposes, of all bodies (fr. 4b.25). In his 4th c. CE Latin commentary on the Timaeus Calcidius presents a long discussion about the status of matter (In Timaeum p. 297.7-301.20 Waszink), claiming that this is based on Numenius (fr. 52.2). If Numenius did elaborate on the status of matter along the lines suggested in Calcidius, that must be because it was crucial to do so for his argument
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Therefore the material world is good despite matter itself being bad.
    What is ordered is good.
    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (2 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit