Review of critiques of the theory of the non-existence of evil

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD student of Islamic education, College of Farabi University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran .

2 Associate Professor of Islamic education, College of Farabi University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Evil is one of the issues that has been used to deny God. The theory of the non-existence of evil is one of the answers that Islamic philosophers have proposed to solve this problem. On the contrary, some have rejected this theory and criticized it; Including the citation to the creation of death, the lack of criteria for distinguishing between non-existent and existential matters, the invalidity of the a priori and a posteriori arguments of the theory, the uselessness of the theory, the return of evil to pain. The question is whether these criticisms are acceptable or not? The findings of the research by descriptive-analytical and critical methods indicate that these critiques are incomplete; because death is not inherently evil. In the posteriori argument, rational analysis of the concept of evil is expressed. In the a priori argument, given the certainty of God's existence and attributes, the possibility of the existence of evil disappears. The uselessness of the theory is rejected by ability of this theory to solve the logical problem of evil, and being pain-oriented of the nature of evil is not acceptable; because pain is not inherently evil.

Keywords

References

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