Course: PHIL 201 – Philosophy of Religion
Assignment: Critical Essay – The Logical and Evidential Problem of Evil
Due Date: Sunday by 11:59 PM (End of Module 4)
Points: 150
Format: APA 7th Edition
Assignment Overview
The “Problem of Evil” remains the most potent atheistic challenge to the Judeo-Christian worldview. In this module, you have studied the distinction between the logical problem (as presented by J.L. Mackie and David Hume) and the evidential problem (as championed by William Rowe and Paul Draper). This assignment requires you to move beyond emotional responses and engage with the philosophical rigor demanded by these arguments. You must evaluate whether the existence of evil renders the existence of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God logically impossible or merely improbable.
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Get Expert Help →Sample Answer Content: The logical problem of evil asserts a contradiction between the attributes of God and the reality of suffering, claiming that an omnipotent being could eliminate evil and an omnibenevolent being would want to. However, Alvin Plantinga’s Free Will Defense successfully defeats this deductive argument by demonstrating that it is logically possible for God to create a world containing free creatures who choose to sin, meaning God cannot actualize all possible worlds. Consequently, the debate has shifted to the evidential argument, which posits that while God and evil are logically compatible, the sheer volume of gratuitous suffering makes theism plausibly false.
Instructions
Compose a 1,000–1,200-word critical essay (approximately 4–5 pages, excluding title and reference pages) that addresses the following prompt:
“Evaluate the effectiveness of the Free Will Defense against the Logical Problem of Evil, and analyze whether the Soul-Making Theodicy adequately addresses the Evidential Problem of gratuitous suffering.”
Your essay must be structured as follows:
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🖉 Start My Order →- Introduction (approx. 150 words): Define the “Inconsistent Triad” (God’s Omnipotence, Omnibenevolence, and the existence of Evil). State your thesis clearly.
- The Logical Problem (approx. 300 words): Explain J.L. Mackie’s argument that God and evil cannot coexist. deploying Alvin Plantinga’s “Free Will Defense” to refute this. Explain why “transworld depravity” is a crucial concept here.
- The Evidential Problem (approx. 300 words): Shift the focus to the inductive argument (Rowe). Why is “gratuitous” (pointless) evil more challenging to explain than moral evil? Critically assess John Hick’s “Soul-Making” (Irenaean) Theodicy as a potential response. Does suffering always lead to spiritual growth?
- Conclusion (approx. 150 words): Synthesize your findings. Does theism survive the challenge of evil, or does the evidential weight make atheism the more rational position?
Submission Requirements
To receive a passing grade, you must adhere to these strict guidelines:
- Sources: Cite the Bible and at least four (4) scholarly articles published between 2018 and 2026. Popular apologetics websites (e.g., GotQuestions, CARM) are not permitted. Use the university library databases (JSTOR, ATLA Religion Database).
- Voice: Use third-person academic voice. Do not use “I feel” or “I believe.” Frame your arguments objectively (e.g., “Plantinga argues…” rather than “I think Plantinga is right…”).
- Formatting: Use standard APA 7th Edition guidelines including running heads, page numbers, and properly formatted in-text citations.
Grading Rubric
| Criteria | Distinguished (A) | Proficient (B) | Developing (C-D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophical Depth (40%) | Accurately distinguishes between deductive (logical) and inductive (evidential) arguments. Explains “transworld depravity” and “gratuitous evil” with high precision. | Identifies the two types of arguments but blurs the specific philosophical distinctions. Explanations of Plantinga or Hick are generic. | Conflates the logical and evidential problems. Relies on theological clichés rather than philosophical argumentation. |
| Critical Analysis (30%) | Offers a robust critique of the theodicies presented. Acknowledges counter-arguments (e.g., the intensity of animal suffering). | Summarizes the theodicies well but offers little critique or evaluation of their weaknesses. | Merely lists points without analysis. Argument is circular or assumes the conclusion. |
| Research & Citations (20%) | Integrates 4+ recent, peer-reviewed sources. Citations are seamless and strengthen the argument. | Meets minimum source requirements. Some sources may be dated or less relevant. | Uses fewer than 4 sources or relies on non-academic blogs. |
| APA Formatting (10%) | Flawless APA 7 style (title page, headers, citations, references). | Minor errors in citation format or reference list structure. | Major APA violations; looks like MLA or lacks citations entirely. |
Recommended Learning Resources (References)
Reference List (Harvard Format)
Attfield, R. (2024) ‘Evolution, Evil, Co-Creation and the Value of the World’, Religions, 15(5), p. 615. doi: 10.3390/rel15050615.
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🏢 Claim 20% Off →Miksa, R. (2025) ‘Defeating the Problem of Evil with Evil’, TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology, 9(1), pp. 297–321. doi: 10.14428/thl.v9i1.74123.
Molto, D. (2024) ‘A New Defence against the Problem of Evil’, Religions, 15(10), p. 1149. doi: 10.3390/rel15101149.
Sterba, J.P. (2019) Is a Good God Logically Possible? Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-05240-6 (Accessed: 14 January 2026).
Tooley, M. (2019) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in Oppy, G. (ed.) A Companion to Atheism and Philosophy. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 129–146.
