PHIL 1000 Lecture 1: Online Commentary Week 1 - PHIL 1000
Document Summary
The problem of why a benevolent deity would allow evil to exist is a subject with a lot of controversy according to cleanthes. Demea"s reasoning towards the problem is the present evil phenomena being set during certain regions and at some future time. Once us humans experience the evil presence, we tend to expand and broaden our view of things. It is parallel to the saying that most parents teach their children, "learn from your mistakes". Once we experience the evil, we react in such a way that makes us change the way we think or take into consideration. However, the controversy here is the question of having free will, or are we doomed to experience the evil presence that a god has set for us. Cleanthes" solution is to deny all forms of human misery and wickedness of man. I find cleanthes" solution very hard to follow.
