There Is No God
Mon, Oct 30
In this session we consider natural a-theology: arguments that no rational person should believe that a god exists. In particular, we will focus on the Problem of Evil. To guide our thinking, we will consider some real world tragedies and the burden that theists have in understanding them. We'll also consider one of the most important meditations on evil in the history of literature: Ivan's "Rebellion" speech in Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.
We have three main learning goals for this day. You will:
- Understand the philosophical "problem of evil" and some leading theodicies
- Reflect on whether there are any morally satisfying resolutions to the problem of evil, given the actual evils we find in the world
- Reflect on the appropriate effect evils should have on theistic faith.
Read This:
Primary: Interactive Essay: Dostoyevsky's Rebellion: Reject God
Secondary: The Right to Protest
Do This:
Required:
- After you've finished today's reading, make sure you complete the reading quiz, which you can access through your section's Canvas page.
Suggested: What's your best argument that God (as you understand him) does NOT exist? (Even if you're an believer -- what's the best case you can make?)