An inquiry into the issue of theodicy reveals both theoretical and practical concerns. Theoretically, the issue of theodicy is raised against the background of a question or trilemma which revolves around the apparent contradiction involved in the simultaneous affirmation of three traditional postulates: Evils occur; God is omnibenevolent; God is omnipotent. Any theodicy which successfully answers the question/trilemma will deny or qualify one or more of the three traditional postulates. The practical concern of theodicy relates to the ethical foundations which theodicies provide for moral behavior. Theodicies which lend positive and neutral valuations to evil phenomena function as supports for masochism, quietism and oppression. / The proposal for an ethical theodicy limits the theoretical options for theodicy to those options which do not consistently function as legitimations for masochism, quietism and oppression. First, an ethical theodicy must affirm the reality of genuine evil and allow for the possibility that such evil can be overcome. Second, an ethical theodicy must either deny God's omnibenevolence or affirm God's omnibenevolence without qualification. Finally, an ethical theodicy must either deny or qualify God's omnipotence. / From introductory concerns relating to the theoretical and practical dimensions of theodicy the discussion turns to a comprehensive analysis of the theodicy of Alfred North Whitehead. Whitehead's theodicy is logically plausible, and it fulfills the requirements for an ethical theodicy in acknowledging the reality of genuine evil, affirming an unqualified version of God's omnibenevolence and denying God's omnipotence. However, Whitehead's conviction that genuine evil is inevitable has some quietistic implications which should be overcome with a modified position that, however unlikely, genuine evil can indeed be avoided. / Aside from the position on the inevitability of genuine evil, Whitehead's theodicy is both theoretically and ethically sound. In this regard, therefore, Whitehead's theodicy shows immense promise for the future of philosophical theology and theological ethics. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-06, Section: A, page: 1699. / Major Professor: John J. Carey. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78021 |
| Contributors | Barineau, R. Maurice., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 383 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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