Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s Metaphysics
This study examines how Ibn Arabi’s metaphysics can address key challenges in the contemporary philosophical debate on the problem of evil. John Mackie famously argues that the existence of an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God is logically incompatible with the existence of evil, suggesting that the...
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| author | Elif Nur Balci |
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| description | This study examines how Ibn Arabi’s metaphysics can address key challenges in the contemporary philosophical debate on the problem of evil. John Mackie famously argues that the existence of an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God is logically incompatible with the existence of evil, suggesting that theism must relinquish one of these divine attributes to resolve this contradiction. Alvin Plantinga, through his Free Will Defense, demonstrates that no logical contradiction undermines the coherence of the theistic conception of God. Although Mackie concedes this point, he contends that Plantinga’s defense does not sufficiently explain why God permits evil. With the resolution of the logical problem of evil, the evidential problem has gained prominence in the theistic debate, where Plantinga’s defense remains inadequate. While Plantinga invites theists to explore potential theological reasons for God’s allowance of evil, he acknowledges that this approach may not yield strong philosophical results. In contrast, Ibn Arabi’s metaphysical framework offers a more comprehensive solution. By integrating ontology, epistemology, and metaphysics to establish a coherent relationship between God, the universe, and humanity, Ibn Arabi renders Mackie’s logical critique irrelevant. Furthermore, his approach fills the gaps left by Plantinga’s defense, offering a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between God and evil. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-be2b57211a594e4eb7e922ccd0933374 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-be2b57211a594e4eb7e922ccd09333742025-08-20T02:01:29ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-11-011512146310.3390/rel15121463Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s MetaphysicsElif Nur Balci0Department of Philosophy of Religion, Faculty of Theology, Sakarya University, Sakarya 54050, TürkiyeThis study examines how Ibn Arabi’s metaphysics can address key challenges in the contemporary philosophical debate on the problem of evil. John Mackie famously argues that the existence of an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God is logically incompatible with the existence of evil, suggesting that theism must relinquish one of these divine attributes to resolve this contradiction. Alvin Plantinga, through his Free Will Defense, demonstrates that no logical contradiction undermines the coherence of the theistic conception of God. Although Mackie concedes this point, he contends that Plantinga’s defense does not sufficiently explain why God permits evil. With the resolution of the logical problem of evil, the evidential problem has gained prominence in the theistic debate, where Plantinga’s defense remains inadequate. While Plantinga invites theists to explore potential theological reasons for God’s allowance of evil, he acknowledges that this approach may not yield strong philosophical results. In contrast, Ibn Arabi’s metaphysical framework offers a more comprehensive solution. By integrating ontology, epistemology, and metaphysics to establish a coherent relationship between God, the universe, and humanity, Ibn Arabi renders Mackie’s logical critique irrelevant. Furthermore, his approach fills the gaps left by Plantinga’s defense, offering a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between God and evil.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1463Godproblem of evilfree will defensetheodicymetaphysicsanalytic philosophy |
| spellingShingle | Elif Nur Balci Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s Metaphysics Religions God problem of evil free will defense theodicy metaphysics analytic philosophy |
| title | Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s Metaphysics |
| title_full | Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s Metaphysics |
| title_fullStr | Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s Metaphysics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s Metaphysics |
| title_short | Bridging the Mackie–Plantinga Debate on Evil with Ibn Arabi’s Metaphysics |
| title_sort | bridging the mackie plantinga debate on evil with ibn arabi s metaphysics |
| topic | God problem of evil free will defense theodicy metaphysics analytic philosophy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1463 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elifnurbalci bridgingthemackieplantingadebateonevilwithibnarabismetaphysics |