TSAS Religion, Philosophy and Ethics A Level Website
The Problem of Evil
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TSAS Religion, Philosophy and Ethics A Level Website
The Problem of Evil |
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Make sure that you visit the Web Forum - take part in on-line discussion. 
The Problem of Evil is one of the toughest challenges facing belief in God. Explore the ideas behind the controversy here - pay special attention to The Brothers Karamazov. Scroll down to begin. |
Use these links to support your work. The pages refer to individual sections from the RPE Specifications: Philosophers |
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The Problem of Evil Free to do Evil: An Interview with Richard Swinburne"Being righteous isn't just about doing nice things like helping old ladies across the road and saying your prayers." So begins this interview with Professor Swinburne by Julian Baggini, the editor of the Philosophers' Magazine. The Problem of Evil This is a link to an academic site based in USA. It includes information about many of the issues associated with the Problem of Evil. Edward Wierenga's Notes on Evil Professor Wierenga lectures at the University of Rochester, NY. His notes include some useful quotations and a good outline of the topic. Augustine Click here to research Augustine of Hippo, one of the main figures in the debate about the Nature of Evil. (N.B. Don't confuse this Augustine with the one that came from Rome to Canterbury). Here is another site. J. S. Mill - The Utility of Religion J.S. Mill provides an argument that is considers the apparent atrocities caused by nature. He believes that this evidence contradicts the idea that God designed the Universe. Faithnet has an interesting article on Mill and Evil - click here The Philosopher Magazine A recent edition of the on-line magazine included an article about the Problem of Evil. Click here to see it. Free Will and God's Omnipotence The Free Will Defence is an attempt to explain the existence of evil in a World created by an Omnipotent and Omni-Benevolent God. This article is from This is a page from the "Ask a Philosopher" section of "The Philosopher" (the Journal of the Philosophical Society). Ally McBeal - 911 In a recent episode of Ally McBeal (Series 5, Episode 7), Ally represents a priest who has come to believe that God is guilty of a miscalculation by giving humanity free will. This link gives you a brief introduction to the episode - use it as an introduction to the Dostoyevsky critique of the Free Will Defence. Dostoevsky The Novel "The Brothers Karamazov" includes a powerful challenge to the philosophical arguments about Evil. This link is to a site which includes a wide range of resources on this Russian author. Click here to go straight to an e-text of Chapter 4 for the argument itself. Dostoyevsky and the Problem of God Elissa Kiskaddon has written this essay on Dostoyevsky, based mainly on his early years - it is interesting as a background to the Brothers Karamazov. The Evidential Argument from Evil This is another page from the Infidels.Org site. It sets out to examine the arguments associated with the Existence of God and the problems posed by the existence of Evil. |