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Privation theories of pain

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Abstract

Most modern writers accept that a privation theory of evil should explicitly account for the evil of pain. But pains are quintessentially real. The evil of pain does not seem to lie in an absence of good. Though many directly take on the challenges this raises, the metaphysics and axiology of their answers is often obscure. In this paper I try to straighten things out. By clarifying and categorizing the possible types of privation views, I explore the ways in which privationists about evil are—or should or could be—privationists about pain’s evil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8253, USA

    Adam Swenson

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  1. Adam Swenson
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Correspondence to Adam Swenson.

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Swenson, A. Privation theories of pain. Int J Philos Relig 66, 139–154 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-009-9202-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-009-9202-4

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