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Single Idea 21266

[filed under theme 29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 3. Problem of Evil / a. Problem of Evil ]

Full Idea

If one of two contraries be infinite, the other would be altogether destroyed. But the name God means that He is infinite goodness. If therefore God existed there would be no evil discoverable; but there is evil in the world. Therefore God does not exist.

Gist of Idea

God does not exist, because He is infinite and good, and so no evil should be discoverable

Source

Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologicae [1265], Ia,Q02,Art3,Ob1)

Book Ref

'The Existence of God', ed/tr. Hick,John [Macmillan 1964], p.82

A Reaction

This is not, of course, the opinion of Aquinas. I love the way he states the opposition's arguments so lucidly. The modern problem usually talks of God's omnipotence, rather than infinity. His formulation allows that there might be undiscoverable evil.

Related Idea

Idea 21274 It is part of God's supreme goodness that He brings good even out of evil [Aquinas]

The 20 ideas with the same theme [reasons for the existence of evil]:

2057 There must always be some force of evil ranged against good [Plato]
2659 The lists of good men who have suffered and bad men who have prospered are endless [Cicero]
20698 Irenaeus says evil is necessary for perfect human development [Irenaeus, by Davies,B]
5761 God can do anything, but he cannot do evil, so evil must be nothing [Boethius]
5766 If you could see the plan of Providence, you would not think there was evil anywhere [Boethius]
21266 God does not exist, because He is infinite and good, and so no evil should be discoverable [Aquinas]
21274 It is part of God's supreme goodness that He brings good even out of evil [Aquinas]
19339 Evil is a negation of good, which arises from non-being [Leibniz]
13164 God only made sin possible because a much greater good can be derived from it [Leibniz]
19337 How can an all-good, wise and powerful being allow evil, sin and apparent injustice? [Leibniz]
19345 Being confident of God's goodness, we disregard the apparent local evils in the visible world [Leibniz]
6737 Particular evils are really good when linked to the whole system of beings [Berkeley]
21468 The Creator created the possibilities for worlds, so should have made a better one than this possible [Schopenhauer]
21335 Belief that an afterlife is required for justice is an admission that this life is very unjust [Mill]
21333 Evil comes from good just as often as good comes from evil [Mill]
21334 No necessity ties an omnipotent Creator, so he evidently wills human misery [Mill]
7200 A combination of great power and goodness would mean the disastrous abolition of evil [Nietzsche]
1473 Is evil an illusion, or a necessary contrast, or uncontrollable, or necessary for human free will? [Mackie, by PG]
1472 The propositions that God is good and omnipotent, and that evil exists, are logically contradictory [Mackie, by PG]
2175 There is a problem of evil only if you expect the world to be good [Williams,B]