Leibniz, Rowe, and the Problem of Evil: Key Concepts
This paper addresses eight interconnected questions in the philosophy of religion, focusing on the problem of evil. Topics include the possible-worlds analysis of logical consistency, Leibniz's Principle of Sufficient Reason and its implications for God and evil, George Schlesinger's DDS-based solution, and Rowe's evidential argument from evil. The paper also examines the G. E. Moore shift as a theistic response, the concept of the "friendly atheist," and the logical relevance of gratuitous natural evil. It concludes with a personal theodicy grounded in free-will theology, addressing Rowe's four questions about evil through the lens of traditional Christian thought and thinkers such as C. S. Lewis and N. T. Wright.
- Logical Consistency and Possible Worlds: Defining consistency via possible-worlds semantics
- Leibniz's Principle of Sufficient Reason and Evil: PSR applied to God's existence and evil
- Schlesinger's DDS Solution and the Ought-Implies-Can Principle: DDS and ought-implies-can resolve evil problem
- Rowe's Evidential Argument from Evil: Rowe's inductive syllogism against God's existence
- The G. E. Moore Shift and the Theist's Response: Moore shift turns Rowe's argument to theism's advantage
- Friendly Atheism and the Christian Theist: Why Christians cannot be friendly theists
- Personal Theodicy: Free Will, Natural Evil, and Redemption: Free will and Redemption as answers to evil
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What makes this paper effective
- Each question is answered concisely yet with enough philosophical precision to demonstrate genuine engagement with the concepts — the treatment of modus ponens versus modus tollens in the Moore shift section is particularly clear.
- The paper moves logically from abstract logical concepts (possible worlds, PSR) toward increasingly applied questions (personal theodicy), creating a coherent arc across what could otherwise feel like disconnected short answers.
- The final extended response successfully integrates multiple course texts (Lewis, Wright, Feinberg, Adams) to support a cohesive personal theodicy rather than simply restating source arguments.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of syllogistic reconstruction — translating Rowe's inductive argument into formal premise-and-conclusion structure, then critiquing it for circular reasoning. This analytical move shows the writer's ability to both represent and evaluate philosophical arguments in their own terms.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a question-and-answer format across eight numbered items. The first three questions establish foundational concepts (possible worlds, PSR, DDS). Questions four through six engage critically with Rowe's specific arguments. Question seven applies Rowe's taxonomy to Christian belief. Question eight — the longest section — synthesizes course material into a personal theodicy organized around Rowe's four questions about evil, functioning as both conclusion and reflection.
Logical Consistency and Possible Worlds
The idea that p is consistent with q is a logical premise supposing that there exists a possible world in which both p and q can be true simultaneously. This premise contrasts with the claim that p is contradictory to q, which holds that if p is true, q must be false, and that there can be no possible world in which both are true — nor one in which both are false. When p is consistent with q, the world in which such a premise could hold is one in which a conjunctive proposition may underlie the concepts, or in which the linguistic theory of necessary truth is simply not operative.
Leibniz's Principle of Sufficient Reason and Evil
The Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) holds that everything must have a reason or cause, and that nothing can exist or occur without a cause or logical reason supporting its motion or existence. Applied to the universe, this principle presupposes that the world was created by a self-sufficient, infinite being — God — because something cannot come from nothing. Applied to evil, the PSR implies that the existence of evil is likewise sustained by that same infinite being for the purposes of some benevolent end.
The attribute of benevolence is traditionally ascribed to the Christian Triune God, and it is used to rationalize the existence of evil as part of God's plan, as part of the purpose of Redemption, and as a consequence of humanity's exercise of free will.1 In Leibniz's framework, God — as the supremely rational being — could only have created the best of all possible worlds, meaning that even evil must serve some sufficient rational purpose within the divine order.
References
Adams, Marilyn McCord, and Robert Merrihew Adams. The Problem of Evil. Oxford University Press, 1990.
Feinberg, John S. The Many Faces of Evil. Crossway Books, 2004.
Lewis, C. S. The Problem of Pain. Samizdat University Press, 2016.
Wright, N. T. Evil and the Justice of God. InterVarsity Press, 2006.
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