Philosophy 229 - Problem of Evil

Spring
2015
01
4.00
Andrew Dole
TTH 10:00AM-11:20AM
Amherst College
PHIL-229-01-1415S
CHAP 201
adole@amherst.edu
RELI-318-01,PHIL-229-01

(Offered as RELI 318 and PHIL 229.) If God is omnibenevolent, then God would not want any creature to suffer evil; if God is omniscient, then God would know how to prevent any evil from occurring; and if God is omnipotent, then God would be able to prevent any evil from occurring. Does the obvious fact that there is evil in the world, then, give us reason to think that there is no such God? Alternatively: if an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent God does exist, then what could possibly motivate such a God to permit the existence of evil? This course will survey recent philosophical discussions of these questions. We will read works by J. L. Mackie, Nelson Pike, John Hick, Alvin Plantinga, Robert and Marilyn Adams, and others.


Spring semester.  Professor A. Dole.

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.
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