The Problem of Evil
Distinguish logical and evidential problems of moral and natural evil and evaluate major theodicies and defences.
How to study A-level Philosophy
Learn each position as an argument, connect it to its strongest objection and reply, then decide what conclusion the dialectic supports.
Core concepts
Concept 1
Moral evil results from agent choices, while natural evil includes suffering not directly produced by such choices.
Exam cue: Identify whether the conclusion is impossibility, improbability or a moral challenge to belief.
Concept 2
The logical problem alleges inconsistency between God and evil; the evidential problem argues that the amount or distribution of evil makes God unlikely.
Exam cue: Match the defence to moral evil, natural evil or both.
Concept 3
Plantinga's free-will defence targets logical compatibility, while Hick's soul-making theodicy offers a purpose for an epistemically distant world.
Exam cue: Test whether the response explains severe, apparently pointless and unevenly distributed suffering.
Targeted study blocks
Specified core
Secure the claim and its place in the debate
Connect divine attributes to the logical and evidential arguments, then evaluate Plantinga's free-will defence and Hick's soul-making theodicy.
Philosophical work
Reconstruct, challenge and judge the argument
State what each response is designed to prove, assess its treatment of different evils and avoid claiming a stronger success than its premises support.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Treating a defence of logical possibility as a full explanation of actual suffering.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Assuming free will directly explains every natural evil.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Describing soul-making without examining victims, excess suffering or heavenly completion.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Memory anchors
Moral evil
Moral evil is wrongdoing or suffering attributable to the choices of moral agents.
Natural evil
Natural evil is suffering arising from natural processes rather than direct moral choice.
Logical problem
The logical problem claims that God and evil are jointly inconsistent.
Evidential problem
The evidential problem claims that observed evil counts against God's probable existence.
Soul-making
Soul-making treats challenge and freedom as conditions for developing moral and spiritual character.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
In the problem of evil, which definition isolates moral evil?
In the problem of evil, which definition isolates natural evil?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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