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Progress on the Problem of Evil

Eslami, Seyyed Mohsen and Egonsson, Dan LU (2021) In International Journal of Philosophical Studies 29(2). p.221-235
Abstract

A standard reaction to the problem of evil is to look for a greater good that can explain why God (with the traditional attributes) might have created this world instead of a seemingly better one which has no (or less) evil. This paper proposes an approach we call the Moral Progress Approach: Given the value of progress, a non-perfect world containing evil may be preferable to a perfect world without evil. This makes room for the possibility that this world, with all its evil, may be preferable to a world with less evil. We argue that our proposal is different from apparently similar views such as soul-making theodicy.

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Moral progress, problem of evil, soul making, theodicy
in
International Journal of Philosophical Studies
volume
29
issue
2
pages
221 - 235
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85104960214
ISSN
0967-2559
DOI
10.1080/09672559.2021.1918748
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a0253654-284e-4fc6-88a8-f5e588da25f8
date added to LUP
2021-05-10 11:25:27
date last changed
2022-04-27 01:51:57
@article{a0253654-284e-4fc6-88a8-f5e588da25f8,
  abstract     = {{<p>A standard reaction to the problem of evil is to look for a greater good that can explain why God (with the traditional attributes) might have created this world instead of a seemingly better one which has no (or less) evil. This paper proposes an approach we call the Moral Progress Approach: Given the value of progress, a non-perfect world containing evil may be preferable to a perfect world without evil. This makes room for the possibility that this world, with all its evil, may be preferable to a world with less evil. We argue that our proposal is different from apparently similar views such as soul-making theodicy.</p>}},
  author       = {{Eslami, Seyyed Mohsen and Egonsson, Dan}},
  issn         = {{0967-2559}},
  keywords     = {{Moral progress; problem of evil; soul making; theodicy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{221--235}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Philosophical Studies}},
  title        = {{Progress on the Problem of Evil}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09672559.2021.1918748}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09672559.2021.1918748}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}