The Problem Of Evil And The Design Argument - 1487 Words

Problem of Evil and The Design Argument In order to explain the â€Å"Problem of Evil†, how it figures in Hume’s discussion of the argument from design and whether there is a personal acceptance of it, each point needs to be examined. Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion utilizes three characters to represent difference perspectives to the existence of God: Cleanthes, Demea, and Philo. Cleanthes is a skeptic that provides the key voice to the argument from design. Philo, said to be the representation of Hume, provides an almost antagonist duality to the conversation. Demea’s purpose appears to give examples and thoughts solely to be shot down or proven wrong in order to substantiate the argument of the other two. It is within this dialogue that two versions of the design argument are presented and done so through analogy. From the two arguments then comes the concept of the â€Å"Problem of Evil†. I seek to try and understand Hume’s concepts and justify an opinion based on his ideas surrounding the existence of God. The Argument from Design The argument from design is used to rationalize the existence of God through analogy. The way Hume explains the argument through Cleanthes is: the universe is similar to that of complex machines; intelligent human creators build machines, therefore the universe must have an intelligent divine creator. Cleanthes analogy seems as though it is supposed to be best explanation of rational religion, but comes off as aShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of The Design Argument1201 Words   |  5 Pagesmakes of the design argument that are described in this chapter, Hume presents a third. He says that even if the design argument succeeds in showing that a des igner made the universe (or the organisms in it), the argument does not succeed in establishing what characteristics that designer has. For this reason, the argument does not show that God exists. Is Hume’s claim correct? How seriously does this undermine the design argument? I think that Hume’s claim that the design argument does not succeedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist1136 Words   |  5 PagesAtheist, is trying to show the readers are more reasonable and comfortable belief than that of Christianity. In the article he also puts up an argument concerning two theistic point of which is the cosmological and teleological argument. McCloskey also talks about the problems resulting from all the evil in the world. He goes as far to point out this evil in a world the God had made and blames God for it. Due to that fact and other issues, he believes that it is irrational to live by faith. AccordingRead MoreEvil : The Problem Of Evil720 Words   |  3 Pagesin a world where evil exists, it is logically impossible and that is what created the problem of evil. Problem of Evil: There are two sides of the problem of evil which are the logical and evidential arguments. The logical side states that as long as evil and suffering exists in this world there is no God. That does not only contradict with the idea of God being â€Å"all-good†, but also him being â€Å"all-knowing† and â€Å"all-powerful† as well. Because, if God only desires good, then how evil was formed unlessRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Religion Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagesvocabulary and texts followed by the people. The religious philosophy and philosophy of religion are very different from each other, in philosophy of religion we discuss the questions regarding the nature of religion as a whole rather than seeking the problems brought by a particular religious system. In philosophy of religion we discuss the question like IS THERE A GOD?. but this is not the only question we focus on, we also look at the aspect that if there is, then what is he like, and what does thatRead MoreThe Problem Of Evil, The Fine Tuning Argument And The Moral Argument1210 Words   |  5 Pagesto talk about which which are the problem of evil, the fine tuning argument and the moral argument. According to theism, God is: â€Å"that being which no greater is possible, and he is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent.†. By having a God who only desires good, and us living in a world where evil exists, it is logically impossible and that is what created the problem of evil. There are two sides of the problem of evil which are the logical and evidential argument. The logical side states that: Read MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1290 Words   |  6 PagesGod’s existence has been challenged by many philosophers and non-philosophers alike. Arguments that have been used to support the existence of a divine being includes the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskeyRead MoreEssay on Response to â€Å"on Being an Atheist†1531 Words   |  7 Pagescosmological argument, the teleological argument and the argument from design. He pointed out the existence of evil in the world that God made. He also pointed out that it is irrational to live by faith. In my response, I will argue that McCloskey’s article is one-sided an d thus flawed in his conclusion that atheism is more comforting than Christianity and when one examines all the evidence, Christianity is truly a source for great comfort today. McCloskey argued that the cosmological argument wasRead MoreThe Question Of God s Existence1575 Words   |  7 Pageshonest with myself, during many hard times I have questioned Gods existence myself. Arguments that have been used to support the existence of a divine being includes; the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However, there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskeyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1538 Words   |  7 PagesGod’s existence has been challenged by many philosophers and non-philosophers alike. Arguments that have been used to support the existence of a divine being includes the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However there are some who opp ose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskeyRead MoreMccloskey Responses1660 Words   |  7 Pagesor influence. From the beginning many people have had questions about God and his existence. He wrote numerous books on atheism between 1960 and 1980 including the famous book, God and Evil. This paper evaluates the credibility of McCloskey’s article â€Å"On being an Atheist†. One of the McCloskey’s core arguments against theism is his demand for any proof that ascertains theists’ beliefs on God’s existence. He believed that atheism is more comforting than theism because most Christians do not believe