The “problem of evil” has been discussed for multiple decades. Philosophers, religious believers, theologists, and many other professions and people struggle to perfectly answer this question. After reading Voltaire’s Candide as well as researching multiple viewpoints on this “problem of evil,” I personally do not believe in any co-existence between God and evil and conclude that justice, rather than evil, stems from our (human’s) genes. Voltaire’s view on evil comes from not only humans, but also nature. He includes multiple sources of evil in Candide, ranging anywhere from the Lisbon earthquake to rape or murder from man-to-man. From a religious standpoint, he mocks that if God does exist, then why does He let people suffer so much? After …show more content…
Psychologists continue to analyze if good and evil stems from human genes. In an episode of 60 Minutes, Yale psychologist Karen Wynn conducted an experiment where five-month-olds watched a puppet show that displayed nice and mean behavior. After the shows, the children chose which stuffed animal they wanted. This experiment produced results that babies preferred nice people opposed to mean ones. Another of her studies showed a mean bunny in one scene, and the next scene displayed that same bunny struggling then receiving nice and bad behavior from two different dogs. When asked about which dog they liked, 81% of the infants chose the bad dog. Wynn said inherently, human beings show a preference for nice people over mean people as shown in the first experiment. She also stated, following the second experiment, that humans also are “born with an innate sense of justice” (“Born Good? Babies Help Unlock the Origins of Morality”). Paul Bloom, Wynn’s husband and also an Yale psychologist, as well said, “There’s a universal moral core that all humans share. The seeds of our understanding of justice, our understanding of right and wrong, are part of our biological nature” (“Born Good? Babies Help Unlock the Origins of Morality”). Another view may stem from religious roots. Christianity’s standard religious beliefs play a large role in trying to answer the “problem of evil.” Focus on the Family, a global Christian website dedicated to helping families thrive according to biblical principles, argues against Voltaire’s beliefs that if evil exists, then God cannot. The site questions them by asking, “If there is some moral standard the critic is basing their position on, the the problem of evil becomes an argument for no against the reality of God. After all, in order to call something good or evil, there must be an underlying standard of right and wrong...we have no real basis for calling anything good or evil”
Human nature is a topic some people are torn about. Are humans born good or bad? Or are there more factors that need to be involved with that conclusion? William Gay's opinion on human nature is that all humans are born bad, that deep inside there is evil. Some people may agree or disagree with Gay's opinion. In psychologist Samantha Smithstein's article, "Are We Born Good (or Evil)?", Smithstein states, "We are
François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name, Voltaire, was a philosopher and a writer during the Enlightenment. He had an interesting view of the world and humanity that he usually expressed by “[knocking] mankind on the head and [reassuring] him at the same time”(Academy). In Candide he does just that by satirizing the philosophy of optimism and humanity’s preference of ignorance, yet shows that with some growth, we all have the capacity to open our eyes to the realities of the world if we choose to do so.
The problem of evil is a highly debated topic among religious and non religious people. The large controversy stems from the Hebrew-Christian definition of an all knowing, all powerful creator known as God, and the presence of evil among mankind in the world, among God’s products of creation. Fyodor Dostoevsky is a philosopher who wrote the piece, Why Is There Evil? This piece explores a man named Ivan’s view on why he can’t fully except God and his world. John Hick wrote a piece named There Is A Reason Why God Allows Evil. Hicks view opposes/ can be seen as a response to Dostoevsky’s, in explaining why God has allowed
People are always getting into situations that have two possible ways to go. That person can choose the right thing to do or the worse. There have been numerous amounts of people asking the question “what is good and evil?” Many have tried conducting experiments to try and find the roots of what makes people good/evil? Evil acts and evil itself can be shown through the social, economic, and mental environment.
When I think of the concept of “evil,” I think of The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius. In The Consolation of Philosophy, Lady Philosophy stated:
The debate of whether man is born entirely good or evil is a universal discussion that never seems to resolve. Even though a human is a complex individual who cannot be defined by a simple assessment, the people of today are convinced that there is a straightforward explanation as to why acts of wickedness exist. Some believe negative influences taint the naturally innocent heart of man, while others suppose evil men are born with an unavoidable capacity for darkness. This however, suggests that the wicked are created from birth without morals or the ability to be considered righteous. Despite the theories that exist, good and evil are not always separate. Man typically is neither solely good or bad, but a combination of the both. In the
Dualism exists in human nature. Voltaire, an Enlightenment writer explores the tendency of humans to seek out good, but also the acts of evil that continue to happen. Voltaire catalogs a diverse cast of flawed characters in his signature satire Candide. Many of these characters contrast other characters in different aspects. These character foils highlight the weaknesses and limited strengths of its counterpart. These flaws are inevitably a human characteristic that corrupt humanity but also essential in development. By intertwining vice and virtue within characters, Voltaire intones that humans are all intrinsically flawed, but the distinction between the antagonistic dichotomy of evil and good is ambiguous.
There are many different theories on evil. Many philosophers have debated for countless hours over the topic of evil. Sigmund Freud, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Friedrich Nietzsche were all great philosophers who had many theories on where evil came from and what evil really is. Using their concepts and ideas, the topic of evil seems more understandable. However, the topic of evil’s exact definition and source are still heavily debated and considered a very controversial topic.
They may even come to the conclusion that if there is a God, he cannot be good.
One of the oldest dilemmas in philosophy is also one of the greatest threats to Christian theology. The problem of evil simultaneously perplexes the world’s greatest minds and yet remains palpably close to the hearts of the most common people. If God is good, then why is there evil? The following essay describes the problem of evil in relation to God, examines Christian responses to the problem, and concludes the existence of God and the existence of evil are fully compatible.
When we are discussing the problem of evil, we are specifically discussing a God that is omniscient, omnipotent, and perfectly good. A God that is perfectly good would not allow suffering to exist, and any minute amount of suffering that exists disproves God’s existence. Unless, the suffering is justified with an adequate reason. However, even then there seems to be large amounts of evil in the world that seems unnecessary for any good reason. By evil and suffering I mean death, pain, and disease. I will be using these terms interchangeably. In the problem of evil, many arguments are placed in order to find a justification for the evil that exists. However,
Argument Evaluation, Nagel: Evil in the Face of God’s Benevolence In “Does God Exist?” Nagel explores the various criticisms against theism. One claim that Nagel examined is known as the “evil is only an illusion” argument, an argument that strives to remedy the problem of evil. In this theistic thesis, it is believed that evil does not exist, at least, not the way it is colloquially defined.
The beauty of the problem of evil is its simplicity. David Hume displays the problem well by questioning the existence of God and evil. For, if both God and evil exist, God must either be “willing to prevent evil, but not able” or “able, but not willing”. Hume shows that there seems to be a problem with God and evil coexisting. For, with an all good entity
What is considered evil depends upon each individual’s view of morality, which constantly changes through the course of that person’s life. Roy Perrett’s “Evil and Human Nature” explains this by elaborating on the customary interpretation of moral evil. This evil, caused by an intentional bad action or harm, opposes another type of evil, natural evil, which occurs without
The problem of evil is as ancient as humanity itself. Since the dawn of man, thinkers, philosophers, religionists and practically every human being who have suffered at the hands of evil have pondered this enigma, either as a logical-intellectual-philosophical or emotional-religious-existential problem. The preponderance of evil as a reality in human existence, and