Philosophy 492

Philosophy 492: The Problem of Evil

Professor David A. Salomon, Spring 2003

Why is there evil? If God is, as theists argue, loving, omnipotent and omniscient, then he could clearly prevent evil. This seminar addresses the major issues related to what philosophers and theologians call the Problem of Evil (we’ll usually capitalize that) or what G.W. Leibniz called "theodicy." One of the central questions of the semester will concern whether individuals can be "evil" or whether it is only acts that we can call "evil."

The primary goal of this seminar is to acquaint you with philosophical concerns related to the existence of evil. We will begin with the story of Adam and Eve and move forward, concluding with the events of September 11^th. Theodicy is defined in The Oxford Companion to Philosophy as "a justifying explanation of why God permits evil." The existence of God, issues related to free will, as well as ethics, will all be concerns in this seminar. We will accomplish our goals through rigorous reading and intelligent and informed writing. We will also look at how tools such as propaganda can treat the topic of evil and, in some cases, perhaps devolve into evils tools themselves.

Discussion will be challenging, and all members of the seminar are expected to contribute. We will do close readings of a wide variety of philosophical texts. The readings are often short but dense; multiple readings are recommended. You will notice, however, that the reading is intensive, i.e., there’s lots of it. The course is designed in the following manner: the first half will be devoted to philosophers and philosophies from the ancients through the eighteenth century as they are related to the Problem of Evil; the second half will closely examine the development of theodicy as a philosophical/theological sub-discipline as it arose in eighteenth century–we will then look closely at the two major “evil” issues of modern times: the Holocaust and September 11th. Although this is not a course in theology, we are dealing with the philosophy of religion and will have to flush out methods for discussing these issues while still “doing” philosophy and not religion; one issue to deal with: when and where to cite the Judeo-Christian Bible as a “source.”

Seminar Requirements:

Class Participation
Two 7-9 page papers; topics to be discussed
One longer (13-20 page) seminar paper; topics to be discussed
Midterm Examination: due February 28: information to follow
Final Examination (based either on Maus or the two 9-11 books–questions and issues to be come later)

Attendance: Students are expected to attend class regularly. It is your presence that makes this course a seminar; without you the seminar will suffer. If you miss more than three class meetings, you will fail the seminar. Lateness will have a similar effect. If you are sick or have an emergency which forces you to miss more than two consecutive classes, call the Office of Student Affairs and let them know. This way, they will contact all of your instructors, and you might not be held accountable for those absences. Don't disappear for two weeks and then reappear, expecting everything to be all right.

Special Accommodation: Reasonable accommodations, as arranged with the disabilities coordinator, will be provided for students with documented disabilities. Please contact the BHSU Disabilities Services Coordinator at 642-6099.

Getting in touch: You can always reach me by e-mail. I check it several times a day. My e-mail address is davidsalomon@bhsu.edu. Please do not abuse e-mail with excuses ("I won’t be in class today"), but do use e-mail for questions and advice.

The World Wide Web (WWW) address for this class is http://www.bhsu.edu/artssciences/asfaculty/dsalomon/phil492/spring2003/

At this site you will find links to primary sources, some secondary sites, bibliographic information, this syllabus, a seminar e-mail directory, and other important information. It will be updated occasionally.

Grading Guidelines:

If you are enrolled in this seminar to get a grade, drop now. Education is about more than grades. Unfortunately, grades are a necessary evil. Your work will be graded on a scale from A to F with pluses and minuses. Although BHSU does not use pluses and minuses in semester grades, I believe they are helpful in evaluation throughout the semester. If, at the end of the semester, your grade is teetering between two grades, attendance and class participation become important factors. You must submit all work in order to pass the course.

A range: The work is extraordinary. It has said something different or is conceived in an interesting and unusual way. Written work is virtually free of errors in writing or fact. Conventionally, an "A" means the work is perfect.

B range: The work is above average. It presents the material more than competently and is well-written and well-organized.

C range: The work is average. Written work might have some problems in construction, grammar, or conception. Organizational problems may also be present as may some misunderstandings of the texts or topics.

D range: The work is below average. Written work probably has serious problems in grammar and organization. It might show severe misunderstandings of the texts or topics.

F: The work is failing. Written work probably has severe problems in basic grammar and shows little or no understanding of the texts or topics. Note: a grade of F is an earned grade and will not be awarded if work is not submitted or completed (that type of performance "earns" a 0).