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WorksheetsPhilosophy, Evil and Theodicies
Total questions: 31
Worksheet time: 58mins
What are TWO hidden anomalies, to be discovered in challenging a philosophical argument?
a false premise
strong logic
a fallacy
a paradox
State any advantage to testing each premise in an inductive argument.
Select the option that most closely defines a fallacy.
A failure in reasoning, or flawed reasoning, that leads to invalid or unsound arguments.
A belief or argument that is based on fake evidence.
This is the process of thinking about something in a logical way in order to form a conclusion, or to make a sound judgement.
reasoning
intuition
reflection
discernment
Is the following argument sound?
"Only vegetarians like vegetables exclusively. Frank likes broccoli so Frank is a vegetarian."
Yes
No
Define the main branches of philosophy.
Move the statements to their appropriate category.
Study of knowledge and truth
Study of right and wrong behaviour
Study of existence and being
Study of free will and determinism
Study of skepticism and certainty
Study of moral responsibility
Study of taste and perception
Study of creativity and imagination
Arguments on the philosophical Problem of Evil attempt to ...
prove the existence of a theistic God
disprove the existence of a theistic God
none are true
disprove the existence of a deistic God
(a) Explain in one sentence, what a theodicy attempt to accomplish, and (b) define the word "theodicy".
What is the theological doctrine of The Fall?
When God issued consequences and Adam & Eve transitioned out of Eden
when the Devil fell from heaven
When Christians fall from grace
When Adam and Eve were tempted and ate the forbidden fruit in Eden
What is the theological doctrine of Original Sin?
Original consequences of Adam & Eve's disobedience, including hard labor and death
When Christians fall from grace
Originated with Adam and Eve disobeying God, and sin entered all of humanity
Natural Evil is ...
evil acts caused by human nature
uncontrollable circumstances in nature that cause suffering
bad things that happen to good people
How did Augustine believe that natural evil occurred?
Fallen humanity, disobeying God, by their own free will, causing punishable consequences in nature
Fallen angels, rebelling against God, by their own free will, who caused natural evil
God created natural evil through the Devil
A Fallen world, subject to decay, leads to natural disasters
Who believed that we are created in an immature state, and that we move towards God throughout our lifetime? Select TWO.
Augustine
Irenaeus
Mackie
Hick
Match the name with their main ideas
Growth into God's likeness
Suffering is a punishment
Genesis 1:26
Genesis 1:31
privation of good
Suffering is God's ultimate plan for humanity
Image & Likeness are distinct
God created a perfect world
Match the name with their main ideas
Suffering creates character
Soul Making
Life is an eternal journey towards spiritual maturity
Freewill and moral responsibility cannot be restricted
Inconsistent Triad
Choosing only good
Explain the Inconsistent Triad in FIVE logical steps.
Augustine believed that ... Select TWO
God made everything perfectly
humans were not made perfectly
Adam & Eve caused evil to enter the world
the Devil overruled human freewill
How did Augustine think that the privation of goodness happened?
by human free will
by human reasoning
by determinism
by divine intervention
Put the following premises in logical order for the Augustinian Theodicy:
God is perfect, and thus created a perfect world
God gave free will to human beings
Disobedience is the privation of good
Sin destroyed perfection and caused moral evil
God's wrath toward sin causes natural disasters and suffering
Why would someone disagree with Augustine's theodicy?
Give a short explanation as to why it is an inadequate explanation of both moral and natural evil.
Which theodicy promotes the idea that moral and natural evil are a real and necessary challenge, enabling spiritual growth into the likeness of God.
Augustinian Theodicy
Irenaean Theodicy
Free Will Defence
For Irenaeus, the image of God is found in specific human faculties.
Select the one which does NOT represent the image of God.
Intelligence
Likeness
Morality
Consciousness
Who was a modern developer of the Irenaean theodicy?
John Hick
John Mackie
William Rowe
Richard Swinburne, building on the Irenaean Theodicy, suggested certain moral virtues are only possible in an imperfect world, and that they reveal a person's growth into the likeness to God. Match the virtue with the correct category.
Selflessness
Generosity
Compassion
If God could intervene in moral evil, this would contravene the principals of (a) and (b)
Do you think that all suffering ensures moral development? Explain your answer briefly.
If humans have truly been given free will by God, then it requires an opportunity to choose both the evil and the good, in order to maintain the necessary essence of our being.
False
True
If suffering is an inevitable part of a fallen world, then how does this shape your approach to prayer?
Some would suggest that if God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent, then He should be able to create a world where humans possess exclusive desires and choices towards goodness, and where we decline moral evil every time?
Explain the errors in this assumption. Use any illustrations to support your opinion.
Create a hybrid answer, that combines two philosopher's ideas, mentioning them by name, and their ideas, expressing how they have shaped your own understanding of moral and natural evil.
Evil is either (a) a human illusion created by religion; (b) the absence of goodness; (c) the consequence of bad human choices; and/or (d) an overwhelming presence in the world. Which of these do you support and why?
