The Problem of Evil



Overview

The existence of evil in the world provides the principal (philosophical) grounds to question God’s existence. 

This is referred to as "the problem of evil".

This course considers the problem of evil rationally and rigorously.

It considers (among other things) varieties of the problem.

It considers a highly influential response which has been made to one variety of the problem by Alvin Plantinga.

It also considers two highly influential explanations of the existence of evil in a world created by God in the Christian tradition.

Programme details

Courses starts: 25 Sept 2023

Here is roughly how the course will proceed:

Week 1: Introduction to the problem of evil.

Week 2: God’s nature: being all-powerful; being all-knowing.

Week 3: God's nature: being all-knowing cont; being perfectly good.

Week 4: The logical problem of evil.

Week 5: Alvin Plantinga’s response. (His free will defence.)         

Week 6: Alvin Plantinga's response cont.

Week 7: The probabilistic problem of evil; the evidential problem of evil.

Week 8: The evidential problem of evil cont; the existential problem of evil.

Week 9: Theodicy: Augustine.     

Week 10: Theodicy: Irenaeus/Hick; concluding remarks.

Certification

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from between January 1st and July 31st after the current academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Karim Esmail

Formerly,  Research Fellow, Oxford  &  Burney Student, Cambridge  &  Visiting Fellow, Harvard.  

Alongside international articles, he is the author of three volumes of a clear & original philosophical work on God. 

He is a Course Director & Tutor, Cambridge University. 

Course aims

  • To provide an understanding of the problem of evil (including the varieties of the problem).
  • To provide an understanding of some of the main proposed solutions and explanations of the existence of evil in a world created by God.

Teaching methods

Lectures (principally) and discussion.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students should have:

  • An understanding of the problem of evil (including the varieties of the problem).
  • An understanding of some of the main proposed solutions and explanations of the existence of evil in a world created by God.

Assessment methods

Option A:   3 very short (c. 500 words) pieces of written work.

Option B:   1 short essay (c. 1, 500 words).     (Students will be asked to provide a very short plan for an essay in this case.)

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support