Gratuitous evils

An evil is gratuitous provided that God could have prevented it without losing a greater good or permitting an equal or greater evil.

Rowe’s main argument

1. There are gratuitous evils.
2. A God would prevent gratuitous evils.
3. So, God does not exist.

Argument for 1

• The fawn story.

Argument for 2

• Point of agreement between theists and atheists.

The theist’s best response according to Rowe

4. A God exists.
5. A God would prevent gratuitous evils.
6. There are no gratuitous evils.

Draper’s argument

HI = The nature and condition of human beings on earth is not the result of malevolent or benevolent agency.

O = Facts about pleasure and pain.

7. HI better explains O than theism does; P(O|HI) >> P(O|theism)
8. So, O is evidence for HI over theism.

Pain and pleasure divided up into:

• Pain and pleasure known to be biologically useful and experienced by moral agents.
• Pain and pleasure known to be biologically useful and experienced not by moral agents.
• Pain and pleasure not known to be biologically useful.