Problem of evil

The problem of evil, also known as the problem of suffering, is the philosophical question of how to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with the notion of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient God. There are currently differing definitions of these concepts. The best-known historical presentation of the problem is attributed to the Greek philosopher Epicurus. Besides the philosophy of religion, the problem of evil is important to the fields of theology and ethics. There are also discussions of evil in other philosophical fields, such as secular ethics and evolutionary ethics. However, the problem of evil is usually posed in a theological context. Responses to the problem of evil have traditionally been in three types: refutations, defenses, and theodicies. The problem of evil is generally formulated in two forms. The logical problem of evil tries to show a conceptual impossibility in the coexistence of a God and evil, while the evidential problem of evil tries to show that, given the existence of evil in the world, it is improbable that there is an omnipotent, omniscient, and a wholly good God. Most philosophers see the logical problem of evil as having been rebutted by various defenses. The evidential arguments remain discussed among contemporary philosophers.