Lecture Notes: The Problem of Evil - Part 4: The Free Will Defense

Introduction

• Lecturer: Mr. McMillan
• Focus: Exploring the Free Will defense
• Theodicy: Explanation of how evil and suffering can coexist with an all-powerful, all-loving God.

Overview of The Free Will Defense

• Origin: Developed into a full theodicy, separate from specific religious texts.
• Core Idea: God created humans with the intention of a relationship based on love, faithfulness, or obedience.
• Essential Requirement: Humans need genuine free will to respond to God freely.

Key Concepts

• Free Will:
  • Genuine free will necessitates the existence of both good and evil.
  • God must not limit or arbitrarily intervene in human freedom.
• Richard Swinburne’s Perspective:
  • Less divine intervention equals more human freedom and responsibility.
  • Human virtues such as courage and mercy require the possibility of negative traits like cowardice and cruelty.

Addressing Evil

• Moral Evil: Direct result of human actions
• Natural Evil:
  • Swinburne argues that death and natural evil serve God’s purposes.
  • Death allows for ultimate self-sacrifice and focuses life priorities.
  • Finite life prevents eternal domination by the older generation.
  • Limits the extent of suffering an individual can experience.

Criticisms of The Free Will Defense

• General Criticisms:
  • Parallels with criticisms of the augustinian and Iranian theodicies.
  • Question of whether achieving good through evil is acceptable.
• John Mackie's Critique:
  • Criticizes the binary choice of God’s creation as proposed by Swinburne.
  • Suggests a third option: God could create humans who are always free yet always choose right.
  • Claims God’s failure to choose this option contradicts His omnipotence and goodness.
• Defense Against Mackie:
  • Supporters argue Mackie's suggestion is logically impossible.
  • Truly free beings cannot always choose good, as this removes genuine freedom.

Conclusion

• Logical Paradox: The Free Will defense contends that perfect free will and perfect goodness are logically incompatible.
• Role of God: Limited by logical possibilities, not by lack of power.

Closing

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