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Augustine Cause Of Evil Essay

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Augustine Cause Of Evil Essay
Thomas Aquinas and Augustine: The Problem and cause of Evil

Zerrrouk(PN)

In this paper, I will compare Augustine’s views on the problem of evil, and Thomas Aquinas’ view on The Cause of Evil. I will compare the views of both of these philosophers by picking out the similarities and the differences. I will conclude with my own opinion, and what one I think is the most viable as a probable case. For Augustine, the problem of evil can be phrased in a few several ways. One approach addresses the origin of evils prompting the syllogism: 1) God created all things; 2) evil is a thing: 3) therefore, God created evil. If one and two are indeed correct, then that would make the conclusion to this question inevitable, in the fact that God did create evil. In terms of general Christianity and the ethics of the church, this fact is in my own opinion, the most damaging fact toe …show more content…
In accordance with what I have concluded, Augustine writes in Confessions, “All which is corrupted is deprived of good.” In summation, the reason that God has allowed evil to exist in this world, as a lacking of good, is because of God’s indescribable goodness; God is not the creator or a victim of it – it is impossible for God to be a victim to evil. Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologiae objection one, writes “It would seem that good cannot be the cause of evil. For it is said (Matthew 7:18): “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.” He also sees evil as the contrary to good, and in accordance with that view, good cannot be the cause of evil. In Aquinas’ second article concerning evil, Aquinas asks the question of “Whether the supreme good, God, is the cause of evil?” Objection two of article two,
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