

The Problem of Evil, Dystopia, and Dostoevsky's ‘The Brothers Karamazov' | Prof. Stephen Meredith
Mar 16, 2023
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Christian Problem of Evil Trilemma
- The Christian problem of evil is a trilemma involving God's goodness, power, and existence.
- Attacking one attribute causes issues with the others, complicating the question of why evil exists if God is good and all-powerful.
Personal First Encounter with Evil
- Stephen Meredith first encountered the problem of evil through Dostoevsky's "Rebellion" chapter in college.
- He initially thought it was a strong atheistic argument but realized it was voiced by Ivan, not Dostoevsky's true stance.
Dostoevsky's Indirect Response to Evil
- Dostoevsky doesn't respond to Ivan's tirade with another argument but through characters' lives, especially Elioia and Father Zosima.
- This indirect response emphasizes active love as the antidote to Ivan's rejection of God's goodness.