Instructions Read The Assigned Reading From Chapter 23 ✓ Solved
Instructionsread The Assigned Reading From The Chapter 23 Thenchoose
Instructions read the assigned reading from the chapter 2.3. Then choose ONE of the questions below to answer. Answer the question you chose in a response that is a minimum of 1-2 paragraphs. Be sure to explain your answers and give reasons for your views.
According to Hick, what is the "soul-making process"? Is it, as he says, of such great value that it justifies all the human and animal suffering involved in it?
Sample Paper For Above instruction
Understanding Hick's "Soul-Making Process" and Its Ethical Justifications
John Hick, a prominent philosopher of religion, proposed the concept of the "soul-making process" as a central element in his theodicy, which attempts to reconcile the existence of evil with an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God. According to Hick, the soul-making process is a developmental journey that involves facing and overcoming challenges, suffering, and moral struggles to cultivate virtues such as courage, compassion, and patience. This process is essential for moral and spiritual growth, transforming human beings into morally mature and spiritually enlightened individuals.
Hick argues that the world is a "vale of soul-making" where free beings—both humans and animals—are engaged in this arduous process of becoming. The presence of pain and suffering, while undesirable in itself, plays a vital role in this developmental process, serving as necessary stimuli that provoke moral reflection and character building. The existence of evil, therefore, is not incompatible with the idea of a loving and omnipotent deity but is instead a logical component of a universe designed for moral and spiritual growth.
Despite the apparent justification of suffering through soul-making, this view raises ethical concerns about the extent and distribution of suffering. Critics argue that the immense amount of pain experienced by innocent creatures, particularly animals, seems excessive and gratuitous, challenging the notion that all suffering serves a greater moral purpose. Proponents like Hick contend that the ultimate value of moral and spiritual development justifies the temporary and often intense suffering involved. They suggest that without such hardships, virtues like courage and compassion could not truly be cultivated, and moral maturity would be impossible.
In conclusion, Hick's "soul-making process" positions suffering as a necessary and valuable component for moral and spiritual development. While this framework offers a compelling resolution to the problem of evil, it also invites ongoing ethical debate over the morality of the suffering inflicted, especially on innocent beings, and whether the benefits of such development sufficiently justify the costs incurred. Ultimately, Hick emphasizes that the soul-making process's profound importance and potential for moral advancement warrant accepting certain levels of suffering, provided they serve a higher divine purpose.
References
- Hick, J. (1977). Evil and the God of Love. Macmillan.
- Rowe, William L. (1979). "The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism." American Philosophical Quarterly, 16(4), 335-341.
- Mackie, J. L. (1955). "Evil and Omnipotence." Mind, 64(254), 200-212.
- Plantinga, Alvin. (1974). God, Evil, and the Open Universe. Indiana University Press.
- Swinburne, Richard. (1998). The Coherence of Theism. Clarendon Press.
- Kretzmann, Nicholas. (1978). "The Problem of Evil." The Journal of Philosophy, 75(4), 211-237.
- Lowe, E. J. (2006). History of the Problem of Evil. In The Thought of Richard Swinburne. Oxford University Press.
- Pearson, G. (1988). The Problem of Evil and the Theodicy of Process. Philosophy Today.
- Alston, William P. (1991). "The Inductive Argument from Evil." Philosophical Perspectives, 5, 59-99.
- Stump, Eleonore. (2010). Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering. Oxford University Press.