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Augustine’s Theodicy

Augustine’s Theodicy. What is the purpose of evil?. “All evil is either sin or the punishment of sin”. According to Augustine, evil exists to punish humans. He believed suffering is a fully deserved consequence of human sin.

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Augustine’s Theodicy

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  1. Augustine’s Theodicy

  2. What is the purpose of evil?

  3. “All evil is either sin or the punishment of sin” According to Augustine, evil exists to punish humans. He believed suffering is a fully deserved consequence of human sin. He believed that all humans were present “in the loins of Adam” and therefore deserve to suffer for his sin.

  4. Aesthetic value Aesthetic value = existence of evil highlights the goodness of creation because of the contrast between good and evil. Augustine also believed the purpose of evil was to highlight the goodness of creation.

  5. Where Does Evil Come From?

  6. All evil comes from moral choices. E.g. if you choose to rob a bank – lack quality of respecting others property. The lack = wrong = robbing bank wrong FREE WILL.

  7. Human evil If humans are evil, the way they are behaving does not reflect how they should behave. E.g. rape – not expected of humans : - failure to be what you should be is wrong.

  8. ‘Evil comes from God’ Augustine believed: • God caused all existence • Evil is something ‘lacking’ not a ‘thing’ • Evil person = lack expected qualities God causes existence + keeps humans free will in existence: humans can become evil through free choices

  9. Pure Evil No-one can be purely evil – to be evil you have to lack goodness – must have had goodness to start with. Even the Devil has some goodness.

  10. Devils Fallen Angels = choose to turn away from God – disharmony in creation – devils actions lead to natural evil because of the disharmony they caused in nature. Natural and Moral result in FREE WILL.

  11. Role of God

  12. God is perfect, he cannot be blamed for creating evil. • Evil comes from humans who turn away from god

  13. Only God can be perfect • God saves some through Jesus • Evil didn't come from God he just allowed it to stay 

  14. If God is good omnipotent created the world why is there evil • God responsible evil privation • (when we say evil something doesn't meet expectations of what it should be like)

  15. Role of Humanity

  16. What role does Humanity play in the Problem of Evil? The Fall Adam and Eve caused ‘Original Sin’ when accepting the apple in the Garden of Eden. This shows how humans can choose not to be in harmony with God this is how evil can come about. Original Sin = disharmony. This has been introduced original peaceful state cannot be restored.

  17. Privation Humans doing evil things = ‘lacking’ something we should have i.e. goodness. Not living up to our expectation about how we should behave concerns a privation that we are to blame for we choose how to behave. Failure of what we should be Augustine also argued that we cannot be totally pure and good, as then to be evil you would lack goodness also how there is evil about.

  18. Predestination We were seminally present in Adam when he committed his sin everyone is guilty and all share the consequences Everyone deserves to be punished Adam acted as the representative of the entire human race. ‘We sin because we are sinners’

  19. Freewill Evil is the price we must pay for now, for having human freedom and freewill. Evil has come from elsewhere our bad choices and actions God is justified in allowing it to stay as we have wilfully turned our attention away from God. Natural Evil also originated from humans Human action destroyed the delicate balance of the world and the loss of order within nature On the other hand, he stated that Freewill is something that shouldn’t be removed, as it then would remove good choices i.e. joy, happiness, children etc.

  20. KEY IDEAS GOD- creator, omnipotent, all good HARMONIOUS CREATURES – Creation is good and in the beginning was harmonious HIERACHY OF BEINGS – Angels, humans, animals PRIVATION– evil = lack of goodness in something THE FALL – Angels and humans fall through their own choices and giving in to temptation. Sin through Adam + Eve NATURAL EVIL– disharmony in world follows fall of angels leading to natural evil. FREE WILL – valuable so God sustains a world where moral and natural evil occurs AESTHETIC VALUE – existence of evil highlights goodness of creation – contrast between good and bad

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