Problem of Evil (4 of 4) Free Will Defence | by MrMcMillanREvis

The fourth part in a series on the Problem of Evil designed for people studying Philosophy of Religion at AS/A2 Level. In part one I gave an introduction to the problem of Evil. In part two I looked at the Augustinian Theodicy. In part three I looked at the Irenaean Theodicy.

[dongabriel]

You are probably the only reason I am going to pass philosophy this Thursday!! Your videos are brilliant, thank you so much for all your help

[plasmaballin]

I agree with Mackie's response. It clearly can't be logically impossible for a free being to always do good - otherwise God himself would be logically impossible. The free will defense relies on the assumption of incompatibilism, the view the free will and determinism are logically incompatible. As a compatibilist, I don't accept this view. However, if you are not a compatibilist, even then, you would have to believe that libertarian free will is logically possible. This is a big problem because the only things that are logically incompatible with determinism are randomness and anything that entails randomness. But free will can't simply be randomness - something that happens randomly can't be the result of a free choice, by definition. Thus, if free will is incompatible with determinism, indeterminism does nothing to get us out of the incompatibility problem, since all it adds is randomness that also can't be free. We are therefore forced to accept either compatibilism or imossibilism, either one of which refutes the free will defense.

[charliestreet]

Thanks for your videos, they are so helpful. I am doing my GCSEs and guarantee my answers an A* due to the in depth knowledge.

[victornaabjunioramam]

Great video... Kindly make a video on process theodicy

[anitahmatore]

This is incredibly helpful with visual aspect of it I completely love thank you and you should produce more videos

[beowulf.reborn]

A being could be truly free to choose either good or evil, and only ever choose good. However, that being would need to be morally perfect, all-knowing, all-wise, have perfect self-control, and be all-powerful. Or in other words, they would have to be God.

This is why, as Christians, we believe that the only way for humans to be able to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and live perfectly sinless for Eternity, is to behold God's glory, as we are transformed into the same Image, by His Spirit, as partakers of His Divine Nature, having our wills fully submitted to the Lordship of Christ.

[mollieskiffington]

I have found all of your videos so helpful, I would really appreciate it if you could possibly do one on religion and science? Thanks. It would help so much

[laurnxox]

Thank you so much for these videos!! Finally think I will pass Phil&E!

[joellamanley]

stumbled upon this and it is soo good and very helpful, thank you so much!!!

[liamlawrence]

thanks for the video i struggled with this topic in class and these videos really helped

[LorzSmith]

thankyou so much for these videos they are really helping me with my philosophy a level, keep it up

[angelcake]

Dear MrMcMillian, l want to thank you for these amazing videos! They really helped me on my As philosophy exams but l was wondering if you could do these videos for A2 philosophy as well? Thank you

[Khhhaan]

There is a video, about 10 minuets long here on YouTube titled "1b - Ex Nihilo and Free Will: Supplement".

The meat of the video starts in at about 3 minutes and then has some interesting points about the free will defense. Any thoughts?

[MaBelleAmiee]

These videos are great. Could you do one on process theory?

Actually, all the good angels in Heaven always do good and when we go to Heaven to live with God forever we will always do good.

[AdiArora]

thank you so much I completely get this topic now!!

[motnahpraw]

Hi, I am really enjoying all your videos and I hope you keep it up! I would love to see more in-depth presentations on these topics. Anyways at the end of your video, when you say that defenders of the FWA claim that Mackie presents a logical contradiction, I'm wondering could you elaborate on what that contradiction is? 

[jordyaye]

epic video bro! keep it up really helpful! <3

[GainingUnderstanding]

As the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes on the Free Will Defense: "Does Plantinga's Free Will Defense succeed in describing a possible state of affairs in which God has a morally sufficient reason for allowing evil? It certainly seems so. [...] it seems that the Free Will Defense successfully defeats the logical problem of evil."


For those unaware of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy it's a peer-reviewed academic resource.

[heiheihaha-education]

Thanks for your video on RS revision on problem of Evil.
It helps me a lot on revising GCSE Edexcel RS religion and life
I would like to ask is there video on GCSE Edexcel RS religion and Society, including Rights and Responsibilities, Environmental and Medical Issues, Peace and Conflict, Crime and Punishment.