Skeptical theism and moral obligation

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 65 (2):93 - 103 (2009)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Skeptical theism claims that the probability of a perfect God’s existence isn’t at all reduced by our failure to see how such a God could allow the horrific suffering that occurs in our world. Given our finite grasp of the realm of value, skeptical theists argue, it shouldn’t surprise us that we fail to see the reasons that justify God in allowing such suffering, and thus our failure to see those reasons is no evidence against God’s existence or perfection. Critics object that skeptical theism implies a degree of moral skepticism that even skeptical theists will find objectionable and that it undermines moral obligations that even skeptical theists will want to preserve. I discuss a version of the first objection and defend a version of the second.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,349

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Skeptical Theism and Empirical Unfalsifiability.Ian Wilks - 2009 - Faith and Philosophy 26 (1):64-76.
Skeptical theism.Justin P. McBrayer - 2010 - Philosophy Compass 5 (7):611-623.
All too skeptical theism.William Hasker - 2010 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 68 (1-3):15-29.
The problem of evil: skeptical theism leads to moral paralysis.Scott Sehon - 2010 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 67 (2):67 - 80.
Are skeptical theists really skeptics? Sometimes yes and sometimes no.Justin P. McBrayer - 2012 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 72 (1):3-16.
Skeptical theism and the problem of moral aporia.Mark Piper - 2007 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 62 (2):65 - 79.
Skeptical Theism, Moral Skepticism, and Divine Deception.Joshua Seigal - 2010 - Forum Philosophicum: International Journal for Philosophy 15 (2):251-274.

Analytics

Added to PP
2009-01-28

Downloads
222 (#87,365)

6 months
19 (#130,585)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Stephen Maitzen
Acadia University

Citations of this work

Sceptical Theism and the Paradox of Evil.Luis R. G. Oliveira - 2020 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 98 (2):319-333.
Skeptical theism.Justin P. McBrayer - 2010 - Philosophy Compass 5 (7):611-623.
The moral skepticism objection to skeptical theism.Stephen Maitzen - 2013 - In Justin P. McBrayer & Daniel Howard‐Snyder (eds.), The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 444--457.
Recent Work on the Problem of Evil.T. Dougherty - 2011 - Analysis 71 (3):560-573.
Skeptical theism and value judgments.David James Anderson - 2012 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 72 (1):27-39.

View all 13 citations / Add more citations

References found in this work

Providence and the Problem of Evil.Richard Swinburne - 1998 - Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press UK.
The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism.William L. Rowe - 1979 - American Philosophical Quarterly 16 (4):335 - 341.
Consequentialism and Cluelessness.James Lenman - 2000 - Philosophy and Public Affairs 29 (4):342-370.
19 The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism.William Rowe - 1979 - In Eleonore Stump & Michael J. Murray (eds.), Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions. Blackwell. pp. 6--157.

View all 27 references / Add more references