In This Selection, Rowe Presents His Own Version of the Argument

question 8

True/False

In this selection, Rowe presents his own version of the argument from evil:
1. There exist instances of intense suffering which an omnipotent, omniscient being could have prevented without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse.
2. An omniscient, wholly good being would prevent the occurrence of any intense suffering it could, unless it could not do so without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse.
3. [Therefore] there does not exist an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good being.
Concerning premise 2, Rowe declares, "In light of our experience and knowledge of the variety and scale of human and animal suffering in our world, the idea that none of this suffering could have been prevented by an omnipotent being without thereby losing a greater good or permitting an evil at least as bad seems an extraordinary absurd idea, quite beyond our belief."
-Rowe takes human and animal suffering as a clear instance of evil.

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Definitions:

Behavioral Assessment

A method used in psychology to observe, describe, explain, and predict behavior through various techniques and tools.

Behavioral Assessment

The process of observing, measuring, and evaluating an individual's actions and behaviors in specific contexts to understand or modify those behaviors.

Direct Methods

Techniques or approaches that involve straightforward and explicit means of obtaining information or achieving results.

Self-Report Inventories

Psychological assessment tools where individuals provide information about themselves, typically regarding symptoms, behaviors, or personality traits.