Einstein solves the problem of evil

[The Sum of Awe]

1) Wouldn't it be more optimistic to say good is the lack of evil? Saying evil is the lack of good would mean both Neutral morality and negative morality are evil. Saying good is the lack of evil would mean neutral morality is good. Not to mention, that's the only way it'd work if you believe in some sort of 'cleansing of sin'.

2) If evil is simply the lack of good, you aren't cleansing yourself of evil, you are filling yourself with good.

3) Regardless of judging things as evil and good, God is omniscient and thus should know what causes us pain. Even if pain is from the lack of good, there is no excuse why God doesn't end what makes us uncomfortable.

 

[Gambit]

By that same token, atheism (the absence of theism*) doesn't exist at all. The problem with that is that a thing can be defined by the absence of something else, as long as its in terms of that something else.

 

[oldbadger]

By that same token, atheism (the absence of theism*) doesn't exist at all. The problem with that is that a thing can be defined by the absence of something else, as long as its in terms of that something else.

*according to some.

Hi Willamena,
That doesn't work....... .....??
Atheism is an opinion held by some folks. Denying the existence of these people would be strange because I can see them! An Atheist is a person!

Take a satellite, in space.... you have something. Now remove it....... and there is nothing there. No thing. Equally, take goodness and remove it, and you just have an absence of good.

Obviously, if you believe in the existence of evil, then this would help to support a belief in demons, and a Devil who acts against God, etc, but I don't believe in any of these things as 'real'..... Evil is just an adjective for me to use in describing what I think is a wicked act, maybe?

 

[oldbadger]

1) Wouldn't it be more optimistic to say good is the lack of evil? ........................

This helps me to understand Nature better, as well. The struggle of all wild creatures to survive causes them to be quite ruthless, but I don't think that a deadly virus is evil, I think it is just doing whatever it needs to do to survive. I don't think buzzards are evil when they rip the lives out of furry little bunny rabbits!

Ergo, nothing in Nature is evil. We can only apply the adjective to humans, who consider themselves to be above the condition of animals... sadly we are not, and our instincts prove to be accurate when we treat humans as 'natural' creatures!

 

[Willamena]

Hi Willamena,
That doesn't work....... .....??
Atheism is an opinion held by some folks. Denying the existence of these people would be strange because I can see them! An Atheist is a person!

I didn't deny them.

Take a satellite, in space.... you have something. Now remove it....... and there is nothing there. No thing. Equally, take goodness and remove it, and you just have an absence of good.

So where is atheism in your example? Not seeing an opinion there.

Obviously, if you believe in the existence of evil, then this would help to support a belief in demons, and a Devil who acts against God, etc, but I don't believe in any of these things as 'real'..... Evil is just an adjective for me to use in describing what I think is a wicked act, maybe?

Okay?

 

[Koldo]

Since abstracts have no locality, I shouldn't think it that much of a problem.

If abstracts have no locality, then good can't be absent ( nor present ).

 

[oldbadger]

I
So where is atheism in your example? Not seeing an opinion there.

Well that's strange, because I linked Atheism to Atheists. Your analogy seems odd to me because Theism, Deism and Atheism are all just belief or opinion positions. How you could link any of these to prove that evil exists .... I don't know.

So, for the purpose of debate, I will state that Evil does not exist other than as a word that we use to describe nasty actions, criminal minds and wicked thoughts. And from that it might be easier to grasp concepts such as 'The Devil is not God's enemy', 'Demons working for the Devil.... don't exist' etc etc.

 

[Revoltingest]

Einstein has never successfully addressed the problem of evil.
But he has done useful work in linking finance with physics.

 

[Salek Atesh]

No, because I am not defining good as the absence of evil, that is just as nonsensical as defining evil as the absence of good.
.

Good and evil are both conceptual opposites, though. An opposite is in definition the inverse of the positive. It would follow at least in formal logic that Evil == ~Good.

Anyways, you clearly aren't using the traditional concept of Good and Evil being opposite conceptual devices. What is your "Good" then??

 

[DayRaven]

Perhaps biology is a better source for an analogy?

Evil may be a parasite. It infects its host, the host fights back, becomes stronger, which leads to the parasite adapting. Both modify each other.

Or, perhaps, Good is the parasite?

 

[Gambit]

Perhaps biology is a better source for an analogy?

Evil may be a parasite. It infects its host, the host fights back, becomes stronger, which leads to the parasite adapting. Both modify each other.

Or, perhaps, Good is the parasite?

A parasite is an entity; evil is not.

 

[Gambit]

Well that's strange, because I linked Atheism to Atheists. Your analogy seems odd to me because Theism, Deism and Atheism are all just belief or opinion positions. How you could link any of these to prove that evil exists .... I don't know.

So, for the purpose of debate, I will state that Evil does not exist other than as a word that we use to describe nasty actions, criminal minds and wicked thoughts. And from that it might be easier to grasp concepts such as 'The Devil is not God's enemy', 'Demons working for the Devil.... don't exist' etc etc.

Evil is relative.

 

[DayRaven]

A parasite is an entity; evil is not.

I did write it was an analogy, a bad one perhaps.

 

[oldbadger]

Evil is relative.

...... evil is just an adjective...... in my book.

 

[metis]

...... evil is just an adjective...... in my book.

And here I thought it was your middle name.

 

[Cephus]

They "tear apart" the proposition that it was a story about Einstein, but not the argument, which is what the thread is about.

Because the title of the thread doesn't mention Einstein at all...

 

[Ouroboros]

A parasite is an entity; evil is not.

Then what is evil? Is pain and suffering evil? Is death evil?

 

[Gambit]

Then what is evil? Is pain and suffering evil? Is death evil?

I addressed that in the OP. Did you read it or watch the (2 minute) video?

Evil is the privation of the good (or the absence of good).

 

[Ouroboros]

I addressed that in the OP. Did you read it or watch the (2 minute) video?

Evil is the privation of the good (or the absence of good).

The what is good?

 

[Willamena]

Well that's strange, because I linked Atheism to Atheists. Your analogy seems odd to me because Theism, Deism and Atheism are all just belief or opinion positions. How you could link any of these to prove that evil exists .... I don't know.

I'm not sure to what you're referring as "my analogy." All I said was that a thing can be defined by the absence of something else, as long as its in terms of that something else.

So, for the purpose of debate, I will state that Evil does not exist other than as a word that we use to describe nasty actions, criminal minds and wicked thoughts. And from that it might be easier to grasp concepts such as 'The Devil is not God's enemy', 'Demons working for the Devil.... don't exist' etc etc.

Words have referents.