The Problem of Evil: Religious-Practical Approach versus Speculative Theoretical Approach

Year 2008, Issue: 19, 115 - 122, 01.01.2008

Adnan Aslan

Abstract

This article takes up one of the most important issues in modern religious philosophical thought, the claim that the existence of evil creates a “logical paradox” with the existence of God. Modern religious philosophy, while on the one hand distancing evil from the people who are the victims of disasters and suffering, at the same time equate the problem of evil with speculative solutions. As a result of the speculative approach many of our modern religious philosophers, rather than focusing on the existence of evil and disaster itself, have focused on the problem of theodicy. However, this speculative approach does not help to eliminate the existence of evil or disasters in the world, nor to decrease their intensity. From this aspect, the basic claim of this article is that practical solutions of the religious traditions, for instance, the way that Islam deals with pain and suffering is more functional than a speculative approach, and modern religious philosophy must bring this point onto the agenda once again.

Keywords

problem of evil, suffering, Enlightenment, Islam and evil, omnipotence, benevolence

Kötülük Problemi: Spekülatif-Teorik Yaklaşıma Karşı Dinî-Pratik Yaklaşım

Abstract

Bu makale, hayatta karşılaşılan acı ve felaketlerin üstesinden gelme noktasında spekülatif yaklaşımın “kötülük problemi”ni çözmede yetersiz, buna karşın dinî-pratik yaklaşımının daha işlevsel olduğunu ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca bu çalışma spekülatif yaklaşımın eleştirisi üzerinden dolaylı olarak modern din felsefesi ile bir “hesaplaşma”dır.

Keywords

kötülük problemi, acı, aydınlanma

References

• Mackie, J. L., “Evil and Omnipotence”, The Philosophy of Religion (ed. Basil Mitchell), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.