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:

John Bowlby

A British psychologist and psychiatrist who is considered the father of attachment theory, which emphasizes the importance of early emotional bonds.

Grief

The complex emotional response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed, characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, and longing.

Jacobs' Stage Theory

A proposed model for understanding human cognitive development, typically attributing stages to different ages or periods of life.

Grief

The deep sorrow and range of emotions experienced following the loss of someone or something significant.