The Examination of the Problem of Evil in Alvin Plantinga

Stephen Olisaemeka Chukwunweolu, Christian Chukwuma Okoro and Dominic Chinasa Orji
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Stephen Olisaemeka Chukwunweolu: University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Christian Chukwuma Okoro: University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Dominic Chinasa Orji: University of Nigeria, Nsukka

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2024, vol. 8, issue 10, 3295-3303

Abstract: This study explores Alvin Plantinga’s Free Will Defense as a response to one of the perennial problems of philosophy; problem of evil which challenges the existence of an omniscient, omnipotent, and wholly good God. Plantinga refutes traditional theodicies that attempt to specify why God permits evil and argues that the human free will is a crucial component in understanding the coexistence of God and evil in the world. He posits that evil stems from the misuse of free will by humans and non-human free agents such as Satan. This study examines how Plantinga’s approach addresses natural, physical and moral evils while refuting the logical inconsistencies proposed by atheologians. The essay drawing from the positions of philosophers like Augustine, Leibniz, and Mackie highlights how the existence of evil does not invalidate belief in God. This Free Will Defense maintains that God allows evil as it is a necessary condition for the greater good of free will. It emphasises that God’s reason for permitting evil may be beyond human comprehension. The study concludes that Plantinga’s Free Will Defense is logically consistent, providing a compelling refutation of atheistic arguments, while reinforcing the rationality of theistic belief in the face of evil.

Date: 2024
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