Affect and the Problem of Evil

A central aspect of the problem of evil or the argument from evil is the intensity or quantity of suffering. This quantity is conceived of as something objective and fixed. But because our experience is in part constituted and interpreted by our effectual orientation, there is no such objective quantum of suffering. But where there is no objective quantum of suffering, the argument from evil collapses. Here we begin by examining the connection between the philosophical and existential dimensions of the problem of and argument from evil as suffering. Next we consider the role of the affect in the constitution and interpretation of experience generally, together with implications for the argument from suffering. Third, we look at how a key affectual element of the argument from evil might undercut that argument. And finally, we consider a proposal to categorize suffering as a species of moral or spiritual failure, as affectually wrong.

Theodicies, Utilitarianism, and Respect for Persons

Most theodicy responses to the problem of evil have in common the claim that God legitimately allows some evil such that greater good may come. This response is puzzling because the seemingly overwhelming consensus (at least amongst Christian apologists) is that 1) morality is deontological in nature (e.g. our duty of obedience to God’s commands, or acting in accordance with God’s purpose), and 2) relatedly, that humans are made in God’s image (i. e. are rational beings) and thus are worthy of respect. I shall argue that theodicy defenses that claim that God allows some evil such that greater good may come are untenable because they either unnecessarily bifurcate Christian morality in an ad hoc manner, or entail that God cannot have respect for persons.

A Mea Culpa for The Felix Culpa? A Greater Goods Response to the Problems of Evil and Hell

In this paper I want to develop a particular kind of greater-good response to the problems of evil and hell, one which hence can serve as a backup plan should the free will defense not satisfy. Ultimately, this response will appear to belong to several traditions in theodicy. Like all greater-goods views, this one relies on explaining the existence of evil in terms of the greater goods that come out of it. Among these goods are the greater goods of Incarnation and Atonement, their respective goodness consisting in large part in the higher-order divine good of glorifying God through the display of divine virtue.

Molinism, Open Theism, and Moral Luck

It is sometimes thought that the choice between Molinism and open theism involves a trade-off in values: Molinism asserts that God has providential power but allows God indirectly to manipulate that in virtue of which human beings are to be judged; while open theism grants human beings more power over that in virtue of which they are tp be judged, but at the price of giving up providence. I argue here that this picture is misconstrued---that Molinism gives human agents more power over that in virtue of which they may be judged than does open theism. Since open theism confines the possible avenues for evaluating agents to their behavior in the actual world, open theism is incompatible with any solution to the problem of moral luck which appeals to counterfactual behavior, and so (I argue) is impugned by the problem,. Molinists, by contrast, have a promising solution to that problem.

Reshaping politics of the left and centre in Greece after the 2014 EP election. EPIN Commentary No. 21/10 September 2014

The political landscape in Greece is confused and volatile at the moment; the right and extreme- right-wing parties are accorded a disproportionately large place in political debate, while the radical left-wing SYRIZA party is attempting to maintain a ‘leftist’ profile and demonstrate its capacity to govern through a strategy of image normalisation. These tensions make it very difficult for the Greek government to stick to the EU’s tough reform agenda. The governing coalition is trying to conceal the social effects of implementing structural policy reforms, even postponing some measures to avoid bearing their political cost. At the same time, it is adopting a very rushed, and thus quite worrying, attitude towards a fast-track growth agenda, without taking into consideration the conditions for sustainable economic development.

The psychological origin and the nature of religion /

"Magic and religion": p. 48-79.

Religion and mental health : a bibliography /

Item 507-B-9

International Congress of Arts and Science.

Contents.--v. 1. Philosophy and metaphysics.--v. 2. Aesthetics and mathematics.--v. 3. History and law.--v. 4. Law and religion.--v. 5. History of language.--v. 6. Literature and art.--v. 7. Physics and chemistry.--v. 8. Astronomy and earth sciences.--v. 9. Biology.--v. 10. Anthropology and mental science.--v. 11. Medicine.--v. 12. Medicine and technology.--v. 13. Economics and social regulation.--v. 14. Jurisprudence and social science.--v. 15. Secular and religious education.

References for literary workers, with introductions to topics and questions for debate;

Introduction.--History.--Biography.--Politics.--Political economy.--Education.--Literature.--Art.--Science.--Philosophy.--Ethics.--Religion.--Miscellaneous.--Questions with references.--Questions without references.--Cyclopaedeas and periodicals referred to, with abbreviated forms.

Christianity and mankind : their beginnings and prospects /

v. 1-2. Hippolytus and his age; or, The beginnings and prospects of Christianity.--v. 3-4. Outlines of the philosophy of universal history, applied to language and religion.--v. 5-7. Analecta ante-nicaena.

The unseen world, and other essays,

The unseen world.--"The to-morrow of death."--The Jesus of history.--The Christ of dogma.--A word about miracles.--Draper on science and religion.--Nathan the Wise.--Historical difficulties.--The famine of 1770 in Bengal.--Spain and the Netherlands.--Longfellow's Dante.--Paine's "St. Peter".--A philosophy of art.--Athenian and American life.

The religious philosophy of Josiah Royce;

Mode of access: Internet.

The unseen world, and other essays /

The unseen world -- "The to-morrow of death" -- The Jesus of history -- The Christ of dogma -- A world about miracles -- Draper on science and religion -- Nathan the Wise -- Historical difficulties -- The famine of 1770 in Bengal -- Spain and the Netherlands -- Longfellow's Dante -- Paine's "St. Peter" -- A philosophy of art -- Athenian and American life.

Brorskabets religion og den nye livs-videnskab /

Mode of access: Internet.

The history of materialism and criticism of its present importance /

v. 1. Materialism in antiquity.--The period of transition.--The seventeenth century.--v. 2. The eighteenth century.--Modern philosophy.--The natural sciences.--v. 3. The natural sciences (continued).--Man and the soul.--Morality and religion.