Abstract
Theists and non-theists alike have toiled with the characteristics of the Judeo-Christian God and how they may or may not be contradictory with the existence of evil. Some philosophers, such as J. L. Mackie, have decided that God and evil cannot coexist, mainly because the existence of evil means that any God is unable to keep evil and suffering away from His beloved creation, and such a limited God is no God at all. But Mackie’s argument rests on flawed foundation. Mankind is necessarily finite because even the infinite God cannot do the logically impossible and create the infinite—nothing infinite can be created. Mackie argues that mankind, in its unavoidably limited state, should function with limitless abilities to always choose good over evil. This “solution” requires that finite man can function with infinite capabilities, which is metaphysically impossible. The fact that mankind can potentially always choose the good choice does not mean that he can actualize this desire for good, for this would require an infinite capacity to both know and do good.
Recommended Citation
Basile, Abigail J.
(2018)
"Mackie's Arguement for the Infinite Man,"
Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion: Vol. 4:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lujpr/vol4/iss1/4
Included in
Christianity Commons, Metaphysics Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons