Malebranche And Leibniz Solution To Evil Analysis

1104 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Relationship between God and gratuitous evil

Name:
Course:
Date:
Malebranche and Leibniz solution to evil
The problem of evil has been categorized variously, but the major categorizations of evil entail the physical evil on the one hand, and the moral evil, on the other hand. Physical evil has been defined as the occurrence of a physical suffering and destruction that is caused by the operation of natural laws, with no involvement of the human intention in the occurrence of such events (Kremer and Latzer, 89). On the other hand, moral evil has been defined as the occurrence of events that violates the natural laws, for which humans are responsible (Kremer and Latzer, 89). In this respect, while in the physical evil there is no participation of humans, the moral evil is contributed by the involvement of the personal will and intellect in doing what naturally should not be done, or what is simply considered morally wrong.
The two concepts of the problem of evil in the world have been a subject of much debate, with diverse views regarding the role of God in the occurrence of events and actions that causes human beings to suffer. Thus, while there is a total agreement between Malebranche and Leibniz regarding the role of God in creating the world, where both agrees that God did justice in creating the world, there has been a disparity in their view regarding the role of God in the occurrence of actions and events that causes human beings to suffer. Thus, Malebranche advances the theory of occasionalism, which holds that God is the only causal agent in the world, and is therefore responsible for all the evil that happens in the world, because God’s creatures do not have significant causal abilities upon which to act (Brown, 82). Therefore, according to Malebranche, the acts of h...

... middle of paper ...

...ensations that might result the body to suffer pain (Leibniz, 21).
In line with the above arguments regarding the perfectness of the world as it exists, as advanced by Malebranche and Leibniz, it is the opinion of this discussion that the view advanced by Leibniz is more plausible. This is because, considering the fact that God is all-powerful, He has created the conscious as the tool that directs humans to know the right and wrong, but the will of God from the beginning has been that man shall do what is right (Leibniz, 2). Therefore, the fact that bad things happen is contributed by the choice of man to ignore the conscious that defines good or bad, and instead to do against the will of the conscious. Therefore, God is no t responsible for the human actions that are directed by the humans own intellect and will (Brown, 91). For this reason, Leibniz is plausible.

Show More
Related

  • Conflict Between God And Evil Essay

    2051 Words  | 5 Pages

    Kreeft, Peter. (1988).“The Problem of Evil.” Chapter 7 in Fundamentals of the Faith. San Francisco: Ignatius Press.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Peter van Inwagen’s The Magnitude, Duration, and Distribution of Evil: a Theodicy

    2315 Words  | 5 Pages

    An Analysis of Peter van Inwagen’s The Magnitude, Duration, and Distribution of Evil: a Theodicy

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Mayflower and the Pilgrims´ New World by Nathaniel Philbrick

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ess of who gets hurt. I began to wonder if it was truly evil to take what one desires, to satisfy your own gluttony even if doing so will cause someone else pain. For a split second, I thought of evil as a suitable answer to an unforgiving and prejudiced world.

    Read More

  • The J.B. by Archibald MacLeish Argues Why God Allows Evil and Suffering

    1249 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chastisement or punishment can be performed in various forms that can produce in a variety of consequences. In J.B., the sudden punishment of God on J.B has caused a commotion in his family physically and mentally. Nevertheless, J.B’s faith does not die and he also continues to fulfill his responsibility as a “puppet” in a play created by God. After the death of his five children, J.B is placid and not abhorring God for his punishment. “God will not punish without cause, God is just.”, said J.B (109). J.B knows that there must be a reason for God to punish him, because God always acts impartially. Ev...

    Read More

  • The Problem of Evil in the Judeo-Christian Tradition Depicted in Hicks' Philosophy of Religion

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    The problem of evil is a difficult objection to contend with for theists. Indeed, major crises of faith can occur after observing or experiencing the wide variety and depths of suffering in the world. It also stands that these “evils” of suffering call into question the existence of an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The “greater good defense” tries to account for some of the issues presented, but still has flaws of its own.

    Read More

  • John Hick And Richard Swinburne: The Problem Of Evil Argument

    1651 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the world, most people believe in some type of god or gods, and the majority of them understand God as all-good, all-knowing (omniscient), and all-powerful (omnipotent). However, there is a major objection to the latter belief: the “problem of evil” (P.O.E.) argument. According to this theory, God’s existence is unlikely, if not illogical, because a good, omniscient, and omnipotent being would not allow unnecessary suffering, of which there are enormous amounts.

    Read More

  • J.L. Mackie's Evil and Omnipotence

    1664 Words  | 4 Pages

    A second and stronger objection to Mackie’s version of the problem of evil is explained to us using the terms 1st and 2nd order goods and evils. 1st order goods/evils are purely physical. Examples are pleasure and pain, happiness and misery. It is claimed by many theists that 1st order evils such as pain and suffering are necessary for 2nd order goods like courage and charity. However there exists what Mackie calls a “fatal objection” to this claim and that is that along with 2nd order goods there must also exist 2nd order evil...

    Read More

  • Suffering In The Bacchae

    1471 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most can agree that random evil and suffering, such as accidents, war, illness, crime, and many more, have the power to disrupt human happiness. Most would also agree that it is not the evil and suffering that affects one, as much as it is how one responds to the evil and suffering that occurs in one’s life. It is undeniable that suffering occurs to everyone in some shape or form, and while others may not believe that it is suffering, it all depends on one’s life. There are many examples a reader can draw from in recent and ancient literature that provides examples of other’s suffering and how they responded to those stimuli. This essay explores how the problem of evil is addressed by Greek tragedy and by Western monotheistic tradition.

    Read More

  • Comparing God, Evil, And Suffering

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is so much evil in the world such as: murder, child mortality, torture, rape, assault and more. So how can there be an all loving God if these things are constantly happening? In this paper, I will be arguing that there is in fact no such thing as an all loving and all powerful God due to Evil. When I think of an all-loving God, I think of God as someone who would never allow a child to be kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed. I think of God as someone who would not allow anything bad or evil to happen in this world.

    Read More

  • Eleonore Stump's Problem Of Evil

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    In, “The Problem of Evil,” Eleonore Stump holds the belief that the existence of evil in our world does not automatically disprove God’s existence. The belief that God cannot live alongside evil is considered to be the Evidential Problem of evil and this is what Stump is arguing against in her paper. Stump argues, the ability to fix our defective free will makes Union with God possible, which overwrites all the un-absorbable evils in the world, showing both God and un-absorbable evils can coexist. In this paper I hope to show that God can exist, but also show that human free will is limited.

    Read More

  • Becoming Evil Summary

    705 Words  | 2 Pages

    Becoming Evil is such a valuable resource and has helped further understand the societal, cultural and psychological aspects of genocide and mass killings. However, it also provides further insight on why people do evil. Becoming Evil is separated into three parts which allows the reader to develop their own thoughts while Waller provides his opinions and the opinions of others on certain situations. The person writing this paper believes that Becoming Evil can be integrated into the course material to give students another viewpoint on the forces of evil that have plagued our world for the last

    Read More

  • Jews and the Passion

    1468 Words  | 3 Pages

    “…the primary response of God to the problem of evil. It states that the unification of the world with God’s plan for it will bring about the eventual conquest of suffering and evil, if not in this world, at least in the world to come.”

    Read More

  • Essay on Stanley Milgram

    1929 Words  | 4 Pages

    Zimbardo, P. G. (2004). A Situationist Perspective on the Psychology of Evil: Understanding how good people are transformed into perptrators. In A. G. Miller (Ed.), The Social Psychology of Good and Evil (pp.21-50). New York: Guilford press.

    Read More

  • Thomas Aquinas And The Natural Law Theory

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is to argue for the idea that even without a God, there can be a basis for morality. The structure of my argument will proceed as follows. I will begin my paper with the background information of the idea that without a God, specifically the Christian God, there is no moral basis. After detailing this false belief, I will go on to explain why it is indeed untrue due to various reasons. I will bring forth the conflicting views of St. Thomas Aquinas and the natural law theory before countering the arguments brought up by them.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Free Will In John Milton's Paradise Lost

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    In order for John Milton’s epic Paradise Lost to fulfill its promise to “justify the ways of God to man,” Milton must prove that man is responsible for his fall from Eden. Throughout the epic, God argues against his culpability in the fall of humanity and insists that Adam and Eve both possess absolute free will. Essentially, the evidence for this idea that his creations held free will concentrates on a connection between reason and the freedom to make informed, correct decisions. This Arminian notion that Man must be responsible for his decision to either accept or refuse to follow God’s instruction because Adam possesses reason and, by extension from this, free will, fails to recognize other factors at play which detract from his ability to exercise his supposedly free will. As an omnipotent being, God would be fully aware of the limitations, desires, and flaws of humanity. Therefore, God’s structuring his creations with potent failings such as

    Read More

More about Malebranche And Leibniz Solution To Evil Analysis

Open Document