good and evil

• Describe how the concept of Imago Dei influences Catholic social teachings.

  • all humans are created in God's image
  • Catholic church teaches people to not rest until there is equality and justice for all
• What is original sin?

  All humans are born with sin inherited from Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God
• What is privation?

  • said by St Augustine in Enchridion
  • evil does not exist, it is merely the absence of good
  • evil does not have to exist for good to exist
  • therefore God allows evil because it doesn't exist
• What was Hume's inconsistent triad?

  • evil, omnipotence, omnibenevolence
  • these three cannot all co-exist
  • if God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent, evil shouldn't exist
  • if evil exists and God is omnipotent, He is not omnibenevolent
  • if evil exists and God is omnibenevolent, He is not omnipotent
• Why is the inconsistent triad unconvincing?

  Catholic POV

  • it assumes complete knowledge of God's purpose for evil to exist
  • but this purpose is beyond human comprehension
• What is Augustine's soul deciding theodicy?

  • evil exists because God gave humans free will
  • humans abuse this free will to do moral evil
  • what they do with their free will decides whether they go heaven or hell
• What is Irenaeus' soul making theodicy?

  • humans are made in God's image
  • but they are imperfect
  • evil exists so that humans can respond to suffering
  • to increase moral growth and become more like God
  • genuine moral development can only occur in a world with evil
• What did William Rowe argue?

  • while evil is necessary to build character,
  • intense suffering is not necessary
  • it can be prevented whilst maintaining God's plan for the universe
  • these instances are unjustified and without purpose, so cannot be played out by an Omni-God
• Evaluate William Rowe's statement

  • it appeals to human empathy
  • the innocent shouldn't have to suffer if they did not do anything wrong
  • could show God is not omnipotent or not omnibenevolent
• Evaluate Irenaeus' soul making theodicy

  • it does not explain why the innocent have to suffer (e.g child abuse does not help develop moral growth)
  • if God interfered with soul-making, it would undermine free will
  • God deliberately makes his existence uncertain
  • if humans knew God was watching, they would behave out of fear and not virtue
• Evaluate Augustine's argument of privation

  • explains that God is not responsible for evil, it is humans that abuse their free will
  • moral evil is a consequence of abuse of free will
  • why did God give free will in the first place? too much pressure on humans to only do good