Theodicy

Theodicy, when it is stripped down to its base, is the human response to the question of the reasons a good God would permit the manifestation of evil. From the 1700s to the early 19th century, literary works of art in the form of novels have attempted to provide an answer to the complexity. With the turn of each century authors produced new and different rationales and viable solutions to the problem of evil. Two authors in particular, Rousseau and Flaubert attempted to tackle this topic in their renowned works of literature. Many cultural shifts were present at and during the time of these works, which had a significant impact on the theories and presentation within them.

Theodicy was a term coined by Gottfried Leibniz in 1710. Since his literary work, many authors have included themes and theories to provide their own interpretation of Theodicy. In Christopher Adair-Toteff's review on Max Weber's view on Theodicy, he claims that making ‘sense’ of the world is not simply a scholarly task; it is fundamentally an existential question. As Theodicy was introduced, the literary world was moving toward Romanticism. Romanticism was a result of the industrial revolution, and was fueled by music, arts and literature. The new movement embraced colorful, imaginative, exotic lifestyles, to escape the gray, fast paced industry. Realism was a philosophy that revolted in direct response to Romanticism, as a means to hold on to concrete ideas and lifestyles. Realism sought to portray honest situations, that would have been deemed unpleasant to the upscale Romantic. Existentialism, a view that sprung in the early 19th century was another philosophical response to Romanticism, put away the idea of escapism to find worth, and embraced the freedo...

... middle of paper ...

...lthough she did have much offered to her. At the end of her story she ultimately commits suicide because of debt costs, which were birthed by that romantic style desire for a fantasy escape. In the end, Flaubert responds to the problem of pain as something we all have to deal with, and it is best to accept what is given and appreciate where one might be in life.

The problem of evil and horrible things happening to good people will be present as long as humans inhabit the earth. How society and cultural leaders respond to this dilemma will change with generations, but these two views from these literary legends will be present in one way or the other. The choice to ignore problems and escape into fantasy will always be available with open arms, and the counter ideology to face your problems with contentment and resilience will be present as well with a full spirit.