Why theists cannot accept skeptical theism
Sophia 47 (2):129-148 (2008)
Abstract
In recent years skeptical theism has gained currency amongst theists as a way to escape the problem of evil by invoking putatively reasonable skepticism concerning our ability to know that instances of apparently gratuitous evil are unredeemed by morally sufficient reasons known to God alone. After explicating skeptical theism through the work of Stephen Wykstra and William Alston, I present a cumulative-case argument designed to show that skeptical theism cannot be accepted by theists insofar as it crucially undermines epistemic license to the very theism it is invoked to defend. I also argue that attempts to defend a theism-friendly moderate version of skeptical theism either fail to halt the spread of damaging skepticism, or lack philosophical validity.Author's Profile
DOI
10.1007/s11841-008-0053-8
My notes
Similar books and articles
Skeptical theism and empirical unfalsifiability.Ian Wilks - 2009 - Faith and Philosophy 26 (1):64-76.
Skeptical theism and the problem of moral aporia.Mark Piper - 2007 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 62 (2):65 - 79.
Are skeptical theists really skeptics? Sometimes yes and sometimes no.Justin P. McBrayer - 2012 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 72 (1):3-16.
Skeptical theism and moral skepticism : a reply to Almeida and Oppy.Nick Trakakis & Yujin Nagasawa - 2004 - Ars Disputandi 4:1-1.
The problem of evil: skeptical theism leads to moral paralysis.Scott Sehon - 2010 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 67 (2):67 - 80.
All too skeptical theism.William Hasker - 2010 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 68 (1-3):15-29.
Skeptical theism and moral obligation.Stephen Maitzen - 2009 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 65 (2):93 - 103.
Analytics
Added to PP
2009-01-28
Downloads
222 (#57,160)
6 months
4 (#185,765)
2009-01-28
Downloads
222 (#57,160)
6 months
4 (#185,765)
Historical graph of downloads
Author's Profile
Citations of this work
If We Can’t Tell What Theism Predicts, We Can’t Tell Whether God Exists: Skeptical Theism and Bayesian Arguments from Evil.Nevin Climenhaga - forthcoming - Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion.
Why AI Doomsayers are Like Sceptical Theists and Why it Matters.John Danaher - 2015 - Minds and Machines 25 (3):231-246.
Skeptical Theism and Divine Permission - A Reply to Anderson.John Danaher - 2014 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 75 (2):101-118.
Rowe's evidential arguments from evil.Graham Oppy - 2013 - In Justin McBrayer & Daniel Howard-Snyder (eds.), A Companion to the Problem of Evil. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 49-66.
References found in this work
19 The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism.William Rowe - 1979 - In Eleonore Stump & Michael J. Murray (eds.), Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions. Blackwell. pp. 6--157.
The inductive argument from evil and the human cognitive condition.William P. Alston - 1991 - Philosophical Perspectives 5:29-67.
Sceptical theism and evidential arguments from evil.Michael J. Almeida & Graham Oppy - 2003 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 81 (4):496 – 516.
In defence of sceptical theism: a reply to Almeida and Oppy.Michael Bergmann & Michael Rea - 2005 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83 (2):241.
Rowe's noseeum arguments from evil.Stephen J. Wykstra - 1996 - In Daniel Howard-Snyder (ed.), The Evidential Argument From Evil. Indiana University Press. pp. 126--50.