Definitions
What are the three main parts of the problem of evil?
God is omnipotent, God is wholly good, and evil exists
According to Mackie, what is the issue between these three ideas?
They contradict each other
What is “evil (1)”?
Pain and suffering
What is the basic idea of the free will defense?
Evil exists because humans choose it
What kind of problem is the problem of evil?
A logical problem
What does “omnipotent” mean?
All-powerful / no limits
What would a wholly good being do about evil?
Eliminate it as much as possible
What is “evil (2)”?
Human cruelty and harmful actions
What question does Mackie ask about free will?
Why didn’t God create people who always choose good?
Why is this not a scientific problem?
It cannot be solved with experiments or evidence
What does Mackie mean by “inconsistent beliefs”?
Beliefs that cannot all be true at the same time
What two ideas lead to the conclusion that evil should not exist?
God is good and God is all-powerful
Give one real-life example of evil (1)
Illness, natural disaster, injury
What is the problem if choices are random?
Freedom loses its value
What happens if God creates our character?
He is still responsible for our actions
What does it mean that good is “opposed to evil”?
Good tries to eliminate evil
What conclusion does Mackie reach about these beliefs?
They are logically incompatible
Why is evil (2) worse than evil (1)?
It involves intentional harm
What contradiction does free will create about God’s power?
Either God can’t control it or chooses not to
What is one problem with saying “evil is necessary”?
It limits God’s power
According to Mackie, why can’t someone consistently believe in an omnipotent, wholly good God while also accepting the existence of evil?
Because the concepts logically conflict—if God is both all-powerful and wholly good, evil should not exist, making the beliefs inconsistent when combined
What additional assumptions does Mackie introduce to formally demonstrate the contradiction in the problem of evil?
That good always eliminates evil as far as possible, and that an omnipotent being has no limits to what it can do
Why does Mackie argue that explaining first-order evil (pain and suffering) is not enough to solve the problem of evil?
Because second-order evil (like cruelty and moral wrongdoing) still exists and creates the same logical problem, meaning both levels must be accounted for
How does Mackie use the idea of logically possible worlds to challenge the free will defense?
He argues that a world where people always freely choose good is logically possible, so God should have created that world instead
Why does the Paradox of Omnipotence undermine the free will defense’s attempt to protect God’s power?
Because it shows that if God creates something He cannot control, He is no longer omnipotent, and if He cannot create such a thing, then He was never omnipotent to begin with