Browse Hierarchy PHIL6004: Thinking in Dark Times

For Analytic Philosophy of Religion, the discussion of evil is invariably shaped as a problem for God. This is evidenced in forms of discussion which suggest the problem as a puzzle to be solved: so, how can the philosopher's construction of the 'Omnigod' be held alongside the reality of evil? Discussions then revolve around the nature of moral and natural evil and the extent to which God can avoid responsibility for these features of life. Recent developments in the discussion of evil suggest an alternative way of approaching this problem where 'evil' finds its when understood as a problem for human beings. This module considers the problem of evil, the social context which surrounds the philosophical framing of it, and the way in which philosophers have responded to the events of dark times. Are there forms of philosophy more likely to enable ways of responding to and combating the lived experience of evil? What happens to philosophical and intellectual responsibility in dark times?