Essay 1 Assignments Instructions: Before Starting Your Essay

Essay 1 Assignments Instructions Nb Before Starting Your Essay You

Write an essay connecting a New York Times article to either the philosophical problem of evil or the problem of personal identity, based on the chosen topic. The essay must include references to chapter 3 or 5 of our textbook, respectively, and at least one source from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy or The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, through quotation and/or paraphrase. The essay should contain an introductory paragraph with a thesis, a summary of the article, body paragraphs analyzing the philosophical problem in relation to the article and scholarly sources, and a conclusion. The paper must be at least three pages, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font, written in Standard English, and formatted according to MLA guidelines. Include a Works Cited page with all sources used. Submit your essay as a Word document (.doc or .docx). Plagiarism will result in serious academic penalties.

Paper For Above instruction

The intersection of contemporary journalism and philosophical inquiry offers a compelling platform for examining foundational questions about human existence, morality, and reality. This essay explores the problem of evil, as discussed in Chapter 3 of our textbook, through the lens of a recent New York Times article that reports on the ongoing humanitarian crises in regions affected by violent conflict and systemic injustice. By analyzing the article alongside philosophical perspectives from reputable encyclopedic sources, the discussion aims to highlight the enduring relevance of the problem of evil in understanding the moral and metaphysical dimensions of human suffering.

To begin, a summary of the New York Times article is essential. The article titled "The Cost of Injustice: Speaking Out Against Violence and Oppression" details recent events involving mass violence, governmental oppression, and the persistent presence of evil in modern societies. It highlights personal stories of victims, community resilience, and calls for international accountability. The authors emphasize the persistent backdrop of systemic evil that allows such atrocities to occur—a vivid illustration of the problem of evil as a challenge to traditional notions of an omnipotent, benevolent deity protecting humanity from suffering. These real-world examples serve as a stark reminder of the empirical reality of evil that philosophical discourse seeks to address.

According to Chapter 3 of our textbook, the problem of evil centers on the contradiction between the existence of evil and the belief in an all-powerful, all-good deity. The chapter explores classic formulations like the logical problem of evil, which questions how an omnipotent and omnibenevolent being can permit evil to exist, and the evidential problem of evil, which argues that the amount and intensity of evil serve as evidence against such a being’s existence. The article’s depiction of widespread suffering provides a concrete foundation for these philosophical puzzles. It illustrates the core dilemma: if God is all-powerful and all-good, why does evil persist? Conversely, if evil exists unabated, what does that imply about the nature or existence of a deity? These questions resonate with the philosophical debate as articulated in the works of Leibniz and later scholars.

Expanding on these ideas, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy offers insights into responses to the problem of evil, including the Free Will Defense and soul-making theodicies. The Free Will Defense, for instance, argues that evil is a necessary consequence of free moral agency, with the potential for both good and evil actions, as noted by William Rowe. This perspective aligns with the article’s emphasis on human agency and moral responsibility in the face of systemic evil. Similarly, the article’s depiction of communities striving for justice can be linked to the idea that evil and suffering might serve a greater purpose, such as moral development or spiritual growth, as suggested by the soul-making theodicy. These philosophical responses attempt to reconcile God's existence with the observable reality of evil, promoting a nuanced understanding rather than outright dismissal.

In conclusion, the article from The New York Times vividly illustrates the tangible reality of evil in the modern world, reinforcing the significance of the philosophical problem of evil as articulated in our textbook and encyclopedic sources. While the problem remains unresolved, philosophical responses like the Free Will Defense and soul-making theodicy provide some interpretative frameworks for understanding why evil persists. Ultimately, the ongoing dialogue between journalistic reality and philosophical inquiry enriches our comprehension of human suffering and moral responsibility, urging us to confront these profound questions with both compassion and critical thought.

References

• Craig, William Lane. "The Problem of Evil." The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2020, https://iep.utm.edu/evil-1/.
• Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. "Theodicy." In Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil, 1710.
• Rowe, William. "The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism." The Philosophical Review, vol. 90, no. 4, 1981, pp. 335-357.
• Palmer, William. "The Problem of Evil." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2021, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/.
• The New York Times. "The Cost of Injustice: Speaking Out Against Violence and Oppression." 2024.
• Swinburne, Richard. "Theodicy." In The Problems of Evil, 1960.
• Naess, Arne. "The Problem of Evil and Human Responsibility." Environmental Ethics, 2000.
• Fischer, John M. "The Problem of Evil." In The File on the Problem of Evil, Routledge, 2003.
• Hick, John. "A Theodicy of Soul-Making." In An Approach to Christian Theology, 1977.
• Plantinga, Alvin. "God, Freedom, and Evil." Eerdmans, 1974.