Buch, Englisch, 576 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm
A Philosophical Response to the Problem of Evil
Buch, Englisch, 576 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm
Reihe: Routledge Studies in the Philosophy of Religion
ISBN: 978-1-041-26765-2
Verlag: Taylor & Francis
This book presents a novel approach to perhaps the most formidable challenge to theistic belief: the problem of evil. Drawing upon insights from contemporary moral philosophy, cognitive science, and religious thought, it develops a comprehensive framework for understanding how suffering serves as a necessary condition for the highest forms of human and animal flourishing.
The book’s central aim is to demonstrate that God allows suffering because it is necessary for three dimensions of flourishing: personal flourishing through participation in basic goods, creative flourishing through self-formation, and moral flourishing through transformation into exemplars who ground morality through virtues like wisdom, courage, and charity. By systematically analyzing each dimension, the author constructs a unified framework showing how suffering functions not as a design flaw but as a structural necessity for authentic flourishing. He deems this the “Exemplarist Theodicy”. Engaging with both classical theodicies and anti-theodicy positions, the author offers a fresh articulation that addresses both human and animal suffering. He deploys recent philosophical resources, including natural law theory, libertarian accounts of freedom, and exemplarist moral theory, to formulate a cohesive response that applies to logical, evidential, and hiddenness formulations of the problem of evil.
The Exemplarist Theodicy is essential reading for scholars and advanced students working in philosophy of religion, theology and religious ethics.
Zielgruppe
Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
Introduction Part 1: Theoretical Foundation and Formulation of Theodicy 1. The Metaphysical Foundation and Normative Framework for the Exemplarist Theodicy 2. The Cognitive Capabilities and Moral Status of Animals 3. The Exemplarist Theodicy (i): Human Suffering 4. The Exemplarist Theodicy (ii): Animal Suffering Part 2: Application of Theodicy to Problems of Evil and Divine Hiddenness 5. The Logical Problem of Evil 6. The Evidential Problem of Evil 7. The Problem of Divine Hiddenness Conclusion
