For arguments that christian theism has the best answer to the problem of evil among the competing worldviews, see chaps2,3, and 6 in chad meister, building belief. Discuss augustine s questions on the problem of evil. Augustine, the fourthcentury christian philosopher and theologian, is perhaps bestknown for his account of his spiritual journey in confessions. Augustines precise motivation for writing his life story at that point is not clear, but there are at least two possible causes. Medieval theologians responses to the problem of evil were influenced by two related but different religious and philosophical systems. The problem of evil accoding to saint augustine essay bartleby. Be sure to refer in your answer to the two aspects of his solution that we discussed in class the one centring on the nature of evil itself, the other on why we sin. Of course, the logical problem of evil was wellknown to greek philosophy. Augustine was not a leader in this movement, but he was an eager learner. St augustine, as i understand him, doesnt view evil as a thing but rather as the absence of, or the turning away from, the good, and one of the greatest gifts god has given us is our free will. May 02, 2012 the problem of evil can be a huge obstacle for believers.
The problem of evil in augustines confessions usf scholar. During this period of his life, he came upon some of the books of the platon. He still conceives of god as a kind of matter, like air or water, filling the spaces of the universe. Augustine, the fourthcentury christian philosopher, is perhaps bestknown for his spiritual autobiography confessions.
Aurelius augustinus hipponensis, in english augustine of hippo, also known as st. He had to work out a satisfactory intellectual solution of how the existence of. His point isnt to identify the cause as much as it is to fight for an intellectual coherence that will allow him to hold two convictions. Although augustine has been using neoplatonic terms and ideas throughout the confessions thus far, it isnt until book vii that he reaches the point in his autobiography when he first reads neoplatonic philosophy. And i strained to perceive what i now heard, that freewill was the cause of our doing ill. Wayne ferguson, beyond the problem of evil georgetown university. Augustines notion of will is closely related to his thinking on evil. Constructing faith from the ground up grand rapids. In the mist of his confusion, the manichee taught augustine that evil is a separate substance against which god is constantly battling augustine45.
He discovers that he has an aptitude for rhetoric having read confessions, we agree, and becomes a. A new study john hick, lecturer in the philosophy of religion at cambridge university, has written one of the most serious and important studies of the problem of evil to appear in english for a lon1 itg i time. Evil, evil evil is an umbrella concept that includes both a moral aspect sin and a natural, nonmoral aspect suffering. Firstly humans are created in the image of god this does not mean a physical image since god is not physical but humans share characteristics 2. When pontitianus had gone, with a few vehement words to alypius, he went hastily with him into the garden to fight out this new problem. Reasons for st augustine s conversion 2016 words 9 pages. Oct 22, 2012 one of the most influential responses to the problem of evil comes from st augustine. So many concepts contain the idea of the other, that we might take this duality to be a. For augustine, christ provides the only real resolution to the matter of human.
A movement that can be called medieval manichaeism offered a dualist explanation of evil, which differed considerably from that proposed by. To use an analogy that he would have approved of, a rock cannot see, but we dont call it blind. This analysis will be confined to books 1 through 9 since those books in the work contain the narrative of his journey to the christian faith and the results of his conversion. Still growing in his beliefs, augustine could not understand how evil could exist in the world if god was omnipotent augustine 7. Augustine and the problem of evil from a christian basis. Many people will tell you that evil is a necessary part of the world. Saint augustine stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Augustines ideas about evil were to mark out the boundaries of the problem for those who came after him. By believing that god is not allpowerful he is delayed from knowing the true essence of god.
St augustine biography info augustine of hippo was born on november, in ad 354, in thagaste modern day souk ahras, algeria, and died on august 28, in ad 430, in modernday annaba, algeria then known as hippo regius. Travel chapter by chapter through augustines masterpiece, as an awardwinning professor introduces you to the books key arguments, as well as the historical context necessary to comprehend the city of gods true power. Light and dark are opposites as augustine says, contraries but are also interdependent. Augustine in dealing with the question of evil and free will pointed out that god judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no eviland so no free will to exist in this way. To find more books that pique our interest, visit the utne reader bookshelf. Two aspects of the problem of evil are arguably critical for comprehending his life in books 1 through 9 of the work. Solution to the problem of evil was written and submitted by your fellow student. First, his contemporaries were suspicious of him because of his classical, paganinfluenced education. St augustine of hippo 354430 ce in his augustinian theodicy, as presented in john hicks book evil and the god of love, focuses on the genesis story that essentially dictates that god created the world and that it was good. How should christians approach the problem of evil. Delineating two aspects of the problem of evil, an intellectual aspect and an experiential aspect, is arguably critical for. Augustine sought to explain the idea of one ideal god being without evil.
The problem of evil in augustines confessions by edward. Taught by professor charles mathewes of the university of virginia, these 24 lectures guide you chapter by chapter through augustines masterpiece, introducing you not only to the books key arguments but also to the context necessary to comprehend the city of. The beatific vision supplies augustine with a radical solution for the problem of evil. Jun 11, 2018 he did not believe that evil existed in the way that god or creation exist, he believed that it was a lack of good where good should be. Augustine had been troubled all his adult life by the problem of evil. The problem of evil catholic education resource center.
Augustines theodicy is a collection of his beliefs about good and evil. When we make sense of suffering, we lose our ability to protest against it. Jul 27, 2014 explaining the problem of evil is generally a problem in religious traditions, but the manichees were able to resolve this potential conflict with these beliefs. The problem of evil can be phrased in several ways. The city of god ushers you on a historical and theological journey through the final years of the ancient world.
The problem of the origin of evil unde malum, he claims, had haunted him from his youth confessiones 7. Evil, then, is the act itself of choosing the lesser good. May 25, 2012 by relying upon this notion of evil being a nonentity, or rather that evil is absence of goodness, or the turning away from goodness, augustine tries to resolve two issues. Augustine argues that evil is a result of humans abusing the gift of free will. For augustine, something was bad or evil because it lacked qualities that would allow it be considered good. He was a latin philosopher and theologian from the africa province of the roman empire and is generally considered as one of the greatest christian thinkers of all times. Simply put, the problem of evil resides in the apparently unavoidable contradiction between the notion of god as omnipotent and omnibenevolent, on the one hand, and the existence of evil natural and moral, on the other. Although evil is a serious problem for thought for it seems to disprove the existence of god, it is even more of. Jul 11, 2008 again just some different view on an interesting topic.
Augustine s ideas about evil were to mark out the boundaries of the problem for those who came after him. Humans start a process of growing into the likeliness of god. Summary augustine describes his attempts to think about the nature of god. One of the most influential responses to the problem of evil comes from st augustine. The city of god online course about augustines work. The text documents the development of augustines faith and his christian philosophy, and one thing of particular interest is his argument for the nature of evil. Augustine made the most thorough study of the problem of evil of any early christian.
The problem of evil saint augustine was one of the first to really address the problem of evil in the christian sense. Augustine, the manichees and the problem of evil duration. The logical form of the argument tries to show a logical impossibility in the coexistence of god and evil, 1 4 while the evidential form tries to show that given the evil in the world, it is improbable that there is an. We do not say that god is the author of evil, and yet we can correctly say that human beings are born evil as a result of the bond of original sin with god alone as their creator. In fact, augustine is often called a christian platonist. Theodicy from theos god and dike righteous a justification of the righteousness of god, which attempts to solve the theological problem of the existence of evil. More this paper has been submitted by user corban hoover who studied at brigham young university, usa, with average gpa 3. Some things are interdependent such that you cannot have or conceive of one without the other. Read the fulltext online edition of the city of god, books viiixvi 1952. Augustine developed a theodicy to answer this question, and take the blame for the existence of evil away from god, ensuring there is a way around it for. This is a metaphysical idea about the structure of reality. From his early work on free choice of the will to the mature reflections in the city of god, augustine keeps tackling the problem of evil. Although evil is a serious problem for thought for it seems to disprove the existence of god, it is even more of a problem in life for it is the real exclusion of god.
May 29, 20 augustine was first introduced to this problem of evil at a very early age. Nebridius has already proposed a convincing argument against the dualist mythology of the manichees. Do we have any convincing evidence that a good god exists. Austin, was bishop of hippo regius presentday annaba, algeria. Most religions address both mora dualism, dualism, the religious or philosophical doctrine which holds that reality consists, or is the outcome, of two ultimate principles which cannot be re pessimism, the term pessimism, formed by analogy with the word optimism. If there is an omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent god, how and why is there evil and suffering present in our world today. Common types of primary sources include works of literature, historical documents, original philosophical writings, and religious texts. Augustine, the origin of evil, and the mystery of free will. Augustine, perhaps the most important and most widely read father of the church, first became preoccupied with the problem of evil in his boyhood, and this preoccupation continued throughout his life. A third part of the solution to the problem of evil is the most important part. Augustine s quote either god cannot abolish evil, or he will not.
Augustine approached the problem from a different angle. My top 5 books on the problem of evil christianity today. The city of god, books ivii the fathers of the church, volume 8, p. Augustine, manichees, and neoplatonism part 1 july 27, 2014 by zachery oliver. Being a follower of manichaeism it taught that the universe was made up of two powerful forces, good and evil, which were eternally opposed. This is a watershed moment for the young augustine, who finds in neoplatonism a way of reconciling his long pursuit of philosophy with his new and serious faith in the catholic church. Anderson, francis i, the book of job an introduction and commentary illinois, intervarsity, 1976, 151. For in this passage of the republic, he is not concerned with the problem of evil in the universe as a whole, which is really the theodicy question, but with evil in human life, that is, evil insofar as human beings experience it and suffer from it. The fact that christians believed that god was not changeable, was the source of all things, was wholly benevolent, and had power over everything, caused augustine great intellectual difficulty. As a young man, augustine followed the teachings of a christian sect known as the manichees. If it doesnt try to answer hume, move on to one that does. Just what he read and how he interpreted it remains a matter of heated controversy, but we can sketch his development with the help of the confessions. In traditional christian theology, god is the omnipotent good power in the world satan and evil are in no way equal to good.
His insight is intellectually credible and emotionally satisfying in that it gives hope and offers meaning to the christian trying to make sense out of life in a fallen world. Augustine s the problem of evil 1143 words bartleby. Augustine, the enchiridion on faith, hope and love, ch. Augustine and the problem of evil from a christian basis in his confessions, st. At first, he accepted the dualist solution of the manicheans, which freed god from the responsibility for evil but compromised his omnipotence. Mar 07, 2007 examining evil from augustine to calvin. Indeed, granting that god is all powerful, it would seem impossible.
This understanding of evil can be linked to the writing of plato. Augustine probably began work on the confessions around the year 397, when he was 43 years old. He did not believe that evil existed in the way that god or creation exist, he believed that it was a lack of good where good should be. The philosopher peter van inwagen put forward an original formulation of the augustinian theodicy in his book the problem of evil. However, the existence of evil and suffering in the world provides a challenge to the loving god of classical theism. Explaining the problem of evil is generally a problem in religious traditions, but the manichees were able to resolve this potential conflict with these beliefs. Thus, augustine wrote that god created the world as wholly good and that evil is an absence of good that occurs through mans exercise of free will. St augustine is best understood as the first very substantial, systematic attempt to resolve these problems on behalf of the orthodox church. God, the author of natures, not of vices, created man upright. Augustine sets forth a philosophical and theologioal solution for the problem of evil that properly merits the admiration of all men, even though they might not agree wi th it. The problem is not found in the lack of balance between good and evil in the world. Understanding his solution to the problem of evil can affect many aspects of your thought. Augustine describes his attempts to think about the nature of god.
In traditional christian theology, god is the omnipotent good power in the world satan and evil. His search for the nature and origin of evil in the various philosophies that he encounters the intellectual aspect and his struggles with his own. Augustine recounts the beliefs he held at this time in his life which he describes as his evil and wicked youth. Augustine, the manichees and the problem of evil youtube. Augustine writes about a large number of topics that continue to have relevance today. Jan 09, 2008 evil, then, is the act itself of choosing the lesser good. St augustine 354430 is the father of western christianity.
When augustine becomes a young man, he goes to carthage to be educated. May 17, 2012 augustine, the fourthcentury christian philosopher and theologian, is perhaps bestknown for his account of his spiritual journey in confessions. Augustine spent a lifetime grappling with this surd without cause. A primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. How augustine responded to the problem of evil without solving it.
Augustine also believed that the sin of adam is seminally present and passed on to all humans, also called original sin, and as a result, humanity could no longer remain in the paradise god had orinally created. In his book the city of god, fifthcentury theologian augustine argued that man, not god, was responsible for the existence of evil. Criticisms of augustines free will theodicy philonew. To augustine the source of evil is in the free will of persons. Willows department of theology and religion, university of durham, abbey house, palace green, durham, dh1 3rs, uk email. If he cannot then he is not all powerful if he will not. By relying upon this notion of evil being a nonentity, or rather that evil is absence of goodness, or the turning away from goodness, augustine tries to resolve two issues. Augustine was a monk and christian theologian who responded to the problem of evil. The problem of evil cannot be solved philosophy essay. The origin of evil is a major theme that helps formulate augustines confessions. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Augustine, in his book confessions, recognised this problem.
The suffering of god in the finished work of christ is the solution to the problem of evil for human beings. Evil is a problem, not because there is evil in the world or that there is so much of it in the world. The problem of evil is often formulated in two forms. In a time where wars are fought on the premise that some nations are good and others are evil, it crucial that we get clear on what good and evil are. If a book can answer hume, it can answer most skeptics today. There, he joins the manichees pronounced manihkees, a religious sect that believes in the separation of good and evil matter. Confessions book vii a neoplatonic quest summary and. The augustinian theodicy, named for the 4th and 5thcentury theologian and philosopher.
This is a watershed moment for the young augustine, who finds in neoplatonism a way of reconciling his long pursuit. Augustine also inherited the christian tradition of respect for the human body. The problem of evil and suffering dr peter kreeft duration. Christine wood explains how augustine was drawn to the manichean sect and how the manichean teaching on the problem of evil became his bridge into the catholic church later. In his analysis of evil the influence of plato is clear. How augustine responded to the problem of evil without. Augustine ultimately solves the problem of evil in a way that is compatible with his christian faith. Augustine, the origin of evil, and the mystery of free will adam m. Just ask and you can get many people to agree to a claim such as. The problem of evil can be a huge obstacle for believers. After disbanding from the manicheans due to his dissatisfaction with the way they viewed the problem, he reasoned a sound solution to the problem of evil that could put christians minds at ease.