Abstract
AbstractThis article argues that, without being reducible to a version of the Free Will Defence, Aquinas' theodicy and philosophical theology can offer contemporary versions of the Free Will Defence stronger metaphysical and theological foundations from which a response to Mackie's compatibilistic challenge – probably the most serious challenge against this defence – can be derived. Mackie's challenge to the Free Will Defence is the argument that the possibility of evil is not a necessary condition for the existence of free will, for God – if He existed and was omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient – could have and would have created rational and free agents such that they would always freely choose the good. I claim, following Aquinas' hylomorphic ontology, that the creation of such a will is logically impossible as it would require the creation of a will containing naturally and invariably the formality of the universal and perfect good, and so the creation of a will indistinct from God's, which is by nature uncreated.
Highlights
This article will defend, through Saint Thomas Aquinass philosophical theology, the theist doctrine from the challenge posited by the logical version of the Problem of Evil
I have argued that Aquinass defence can make a valuable contribution to the contemporary debate on the Problem of Evil as it is able to overcome Mackies compatibilist challenge, taken to be the most serious challenge against present-day theist responses to the logical Problem of Evil
In the first section of the paper, I have introduced the logical version of The Problem of Evil and what is considered to be the strongest response to it – the Free Will Defence – so as to place Aquinass contribution within the general debate
Summary
This article will defend, through Saint Thomas Aquinass philosophical theology, the theist doctrine from the challenge posited by the logical version of the Problem of Evil. V. Dougherty[6] and Agustín Echavarría[7] by offering a new understanding of Aquinass theodicy which is centred on the ontological necessity of the possibility of evil for Creation[8] and the absolute divine necessity of Creation. The essay aims at contributing to two distinct – complimentary – literatures by, first, providing a novel response to Mackies challenge and, second, by offering a new reading of Aquinass theodicy that can serve as a valuable addition to contemporary Thomistic philosophical theology. The final section will argue that Aquinass philosophical theology can provide a way out of Mackies criticism by showing, based on his metaphysical conception of God and evil, that the possibility of doing evil is ontologically inherent to Created Free Will
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