In the last blog on this subject I pointed out the obvious: that the reality of evil does not constitute an explicit contradiction of God’s goodness, omnipotence and omniscience. But does it constitute a formal contradiction? As Plantinga (God, Freedom and Evil) points out this depends on whether it is possible for the atheologian (the person who insists this is a contradiction) to construct a logical set from which, using only the rules of ordinary logic, an explicit contradiction may be deducted.
Plantinga provides the following example:
(1) If all men are mortal, then Socrates is mortal.
(2) All men are mortal.
(3) Socrates is not mortal.
We can deduce from this: (4) Socrates is mortal - an explicit contradiction to (3).
But it is clear that to state evil exists and then state that God is perfectly good, omnipotent and omniscience does not constitute a formal contradiction.
Since, then, no explicit or formal contradiction exists it follows that if a contradiction is involved it must be a different kind of contradiction.
More later.
Posted July 13, 2008
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