Explain Mackie's argument - Essay Example

Explaining Mackie’s Argument Mackie argued that the reality of evil and the existence of an all –good, allpowerful God are deductively irreconcilable, but if there is perfect knowledge that evil exists, as a result God does not exist. The logical development Mackie’s argument was premised on Christian teachings on the existence and omnipotence of God, that if God exists and is omnipotent, omniscient and entirely good. As a fact, an omnipotent, omniscient and entirely good being must eliminate evil to extinction.

And that the omnipotent is limitless, but if evil exists then God does not exists. He pokes a hole in all the arguments proclaiming the existence of God. The three propositions in the text above are in contradictions: God’s omnipotence, God being wholly good, ye amongst all these evil exists. If the two are true, then the third will be false, the three being part of the arguments that proclaim the existence of God. In a logical and philosophical argument adherence to the three propositions cannot be consistent.

Theologians argue that evil is the balance that God uses to bring goodness, however this argument is certainly a limitation on the omniscience of God. Langtry (2008) points out a good person does not always eliminate evil as far as possible, the resulting understanding from Mackie’s argument. Further, he points out that thw world is better with some evil than without evil, as pain and misery are first order evils which are deductively important parts of second order good which include suffering and heroism when confronted with danger.

Therefore the problem of evil is stated in form of second order evil compared against present solution which is hopeless. World CatLangtry, Bruce. God, the Best, and Evil. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Internet resource.