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Moral evil refers to the willful actions or inactions of individuals that result in harm or suffering to others, often driven by malicious intent, negligence, or moral indifference. It is distinguished from natural evil, which encompasses suffering arising from natural events, and raises significant questions in theodicy about the existence of a benevolent deity in the presence of such human-caused suffering.
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Theodicy is the theological and philosophical attempt to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering in the world with the notion of a benevolent and omnipotent God. It addresses the problem of evil by exploring various explanations and justifications for why a good deity would permit such conditions to exist.
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Free will is the philosophical concept that suggests humans have the ability to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or divine intervention. It is central to discussions on moral responsibility, autonomy, and the nature of human consciousness.
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Moral responsibility refers to the status of being accountable for one's actions, especially in terms of ethical or moral obligations. It involves the capacity to understand and act upon moral principles, and is often linked to concepts of free will, blame, and praise.
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Ethical theory is a systematic examination of how moral values and principles guide human conduct, providing frameworks for determining what is morally right or wrong. It encompasses a variety of approaches, each offering distinct perspectives on morality, such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics.
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The Problem of Evil is a philosophical and theological dilemma questioning how an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God can allow the existence of evil and suffering in the world. It challenges the coherence of theistic beliefs and has led to various responses, including theodicies and skeptical theism, to reconcile this apparent contradiction.
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Intentionality refers to the capacity of the mind to represent objects, properties, and states of affairs, essentially the 'aboutness' of mental states. It is a fundamental concept in philosophy of mind, distinguishing mental phenomena from physical phenomena by their inherent directedness toward something beyond themselves.
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Moral agency refers to the capacity of an individual to make ethical choices and be held accountable for their actions, based on an understanding of right and wrong. It is a fundamental aspect of moral philosophy, influencing how responsibility and autonomy are assigned in ethical discussions.
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Consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges the rightness or wrongness of actions based solely on their outcomes or consequences. It posits that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number, often associated with utilitarianism.
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Deontology is an ethical theory that emphasizes the importance of rules, duties, and obligations, asserting that the morality of an action is determined by its adherence to these principles rather than its consequences. It is often associated with Immanuel Kant, who argued that actions must be guided by universal moral laws that respect the autonomy and rationality of individuals.
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Virtue ethics is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy, rather than either the consequences of actions or adherence to rules. It suggests that cultivating good character traits leads to moral behavior and a fulfilling life.
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Natural evil refers to suffering and harm resulting from natural phenomena, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and diseases, which occur independently of human actions. It poses significant challenges to theodicy, questioning how a benevolent and omnipotent deity can allow such suffering to exist in the world.
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The Logical Problem of Evil argues that the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God is incompatible with the presence of evil in the world. This philosophical challenge suggests that if such a God exists, then evil should not, leading to debates about the nature of God and the justification for evil.
Alvin Plantinga's Free Will Defense argues that the existence of evil is logically compatible with an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God because evil is a necessary consequence of granting humans Free Will. Plantinga posits that a world with free agents capable of moral good is more valuable than a world without Free Will, even if it results in the possibility of moral evil.
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The Free Will Defense is a philosophical argument that suggests the existence of free will justifies the presence of evil in a world created by an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God. It argues that free will is inherently valuable and that the potential for moral and natural evil is a necessary consequence of granting creatures the freedom to choose their actions.
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The Evidential Problem of Evil argues that the existence of evil and suffering in the world provides strong evidence against the existence of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God. It focuses on the scale, intensity, and distribution of evil as being inconsistent with such a deity's nature, challenging theistic explanations for why a good God would permit such occurrences.
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The Fall refers to the biblical event in which Adam and Eve disobeyed God, leading to the introduction of sin and mortality into the world. This narrative is foundational in Christian theology, symbolizing the loss of innocence and the origin of human suffering and moral struggle.
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The Problem of Evil explores the challenge of reconciling the existence of evil and suffering in the world with the belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God. It questions how such a deity could allow evil to persist, leading to various philosophical and theological responses.
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