The Problem of Evil - Common Sense Atheism

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Notes 175 7. By ‘signs and wonders’ I mean ‘‘visible’’ miracles, events that are on the face of it contraventions of the natural order of things. (‘‘The raising of a house or ship into the air is a visible miracle. The raising of a feather, when the wind wants ever so little of a force requisite for that purpose, is as real a miracle, though not so sensible with regard to us’’ (Hume, ‘‘Of Miracles,’’ n. 1).) To use this biblical term in this sense is by no means an anachronism. ‘‘Law of nature’’ may be a modern concept (it would have been difficult indeed to explain to anyone in the ancient world what Hume meant when he said that the raising of a feather by the wind might be a violation of the natural order—if the wind did raise the feather, how could it have wanted, to any degree, a force requisite to that purpose?; what could that mean?), but people in biblical times were well aware that the truth of certain reports would entail the existence of violations of the natural order, for those reports are reports of things that ‘‘just don’t happen’’. See, e.g., the reaction of Porcius Festus, procurator of Judea, to Paul’s confession of faith before King Agrippa (Acts 26: 24). Festus was a first-century man of affairs, not a post-Newtonian philosopher, but his reaction to Paul’s speech evidences a position that is as ‘‘Humean’’ as those differences from Hume permit: it is more reasonable to believe that Paul is mad than it is to believe what he says, for the kinds of things that Paul has described are kinds of things that just don’t happen—and a learned man’s being driven mad by his great learning is a thing that has been known to happen. 8. These words are from a manuscript that, as far as I know, is unpublished. They are quoted in Robert Bartlett, England under the Norman and Angevin Kings. I take them from a review of the book by John Gillingham. Here is a second quotation from the book by the reviewer: ‘‘simple materialism and disbelief in the afterlife were probably widespread, although they leave little trace in sources written by clerics and monks’’. (No page citations are given in the review.) 9. In the ‘‘American undergraduate’’ version, Russell went on to say: ‘‘Then God will say to me, ‘Good for you, Bertie; you used the mind I gave you. Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’ And you, young man, you he will send straight to Hell.’’ 10. This is the translation of the Jerusalem Bible. Here is a more literal translation: ‘‘Do you believe that God is one? You do well. The demons also believe, and they shudder.’’ 11. Is there any evidence that A Christmas Carol was influenced by Luke 16? I should like to know. 12. Wisd. 1: 16–2: 11. The phrase ‘‘they have made a covenant with death’’ occurs in Isaiah (28: 15), but in that verse, I believe, a different sort of covenant is intended. 13. ‘‘For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists (hoti estin) and that he rewards those who seek him’’ (Heb. 11: 6, RSV). Note
176 Notes that the first conjunct is (logically) redundant: one who believes that God rewards those who seek him ipso facto believes that God exists. Note also that even the more inclusive belief—that God rewards those who seek him—is represented as having merely instrumental value: what is of intrinsic value is drawing near to God. 14. If Descartes’s account of intellectual error was right, this epistemic defect wasn’t innocent, for it involved an abuse of free will (but I don’t suppose that his account was right).
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THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
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1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX
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Preface These lectures were deliver
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Outline Contents Detailed Contents
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xii Detailed Contents agnostics’
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xiv Detailed Contents he is ‘‘h
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2 The Problem and Argument from Evi
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10 The Problem and Argument from Ev
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Lecture 2 The Idea of God I said th
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20 The Idea of God unifying princip
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22 The Idea of God ‘‘God was in
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24 The Idea of God And Demiourgos i
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26 The Idea of God evil. When we fi
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28 The Idea of God —immutable. Th
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30 The Idea of God worlds: those in
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32 The Idea of God (it would certai
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34 The Idea of God Now why do I dra
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36 The Idea of God not a possible p
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38 Philosophical Failure Note the w
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40 Philosophical Failure proved by
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42 Philosophical Failure which prem
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44 Philosophical Failure thesis. Al
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46 Philosophical Failure realist in
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48 Philosophical Failure of our con
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50 Philosophical Failure mere agnos
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52 Philosophical Failure representa
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54 Philosophical Failure minds, say
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Lecture 4 The Global Argument from
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58 The Global Argument from Evil I
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60 The Global Argument from Evil ca
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64 The Global Argument from Evil We
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68 The Global Argument from Evil Si
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90 The Global Argument Continued He
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92 The Global Argument Continued fr
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96 The Local Argument from Evil tha
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98 The Local Argument from Evil (3)
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100 The Local Argument from Evil [T
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102 The Local Argument from Evil yo
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104 The Local Argument from Evil ha
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106 The Local Argument from Evil Bu
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108 The Local Argument from Evil In
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110 The Local Argument from Evil If
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112 The Local Argument from Evil ca
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114 The Sufferings of Beasts the ac
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116 The Sufferings of Beasts balls
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118 The Sufferings of Beasts state
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120 The Sufferings of Beasts Let us
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122 The Sufferings of Beasts gift f
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Page 149 and 150: 132 The Sufferings of Beasts to ens
Page 151 and 152: 134 The Sufferings of Beasts warned
Page 153 and 154: 136 The Hiddenness of God hiddennes
Page 155 and 156: 138 The Hiddenness of God admiratio
Page 157 and 158: 140 The Hiddenness of God Theist. S
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Page 163 and 164: 146 The Hiddenness of God (2) Patri
Page 165 and 166: 148 The Hiddenness of God in genera
Page 167 and 168: 150 The Hiddenness of God intellect
Page 169 and 170: Notes LECTURE 1 THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
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Page 179 and 180: 162 Notes I believe as strongly as
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Page 185 and 186: 168 Notes LECTURE 6 THE LOCAL ARGUM
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Page 195 and 196: 178 Works Cited Providence and Evil
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Page 199 and 200: 182 Index free will (free choice) 2
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The Problem of Evil - Common Sense Atheism

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