Anti‐Theodicy

In this article, I outline the major themes of ‘anti‐theodicy’. Anti‐theodicy is characterised as a reaction, as rejection, against traditional solutions to the problem of evil (called ‘theodicies’) and against the traditional formulations of the problem of evil to which those solutions respond. I detail numerous ‘moral’ anti‐theodical objections to theodicy, illustrating the central claim of anti‐theodicy: Theodicy is morally objectionable. I also detail some ‘non‐moral’ anti‐theodical objections, illustrating the second major claim of anti‐theodicy: Traditional formulations of the problem of evil are conceptually misguided. My focus remains on the analytic philosophical tradition throughout, but I briefly allude to the rich theological tradition of anti‐theodicy. Although we should recognise the significant degree of diversity amongst anti‐theodical arguments and the philosophical views of their proponents, this article should serve to illustrate the general theme: ‘Theodicies mediate a praxis that sanctions evil.’[Note 1. Nick Trakakis, The End of Philosophy of Religion (London: ...]