The Problem of Evil

Who of us has not wondered why a God with absolute attributes causes or allows evil in the world? This most puzzling issue, known as the problem of evil, received significant attention from Ibn Sina. In the present work, Dr. Inati argues that Ibn Sina provides seven theses to justify God's causing or allowing the presence of evil, and that only the thesis which relies on God's omnipotence as defined by Ibn Sina eliminates the problem of evil in his philosophy. The book is an original piece of work and the first comprehensive study of Ibn Sina's Theodicy, which helped shape later Islamic and Christian treatments of the subject and left significant marks on the thought of major medieval philosophers, including Ibn Rushd, Aquinas and Suarez.

Contenu

Preface (vii)

Chapter One. The Problem of Evil: Formulation and Historical Solutions (1)

Chapter Two. Analysis of the Theories of Evil of Ibn Sina's Predecessors (15)

Chapter Three. Ibn Sina's Analysis of Metaphysical Evil (65)

Chapter Four. Ibn Sina's Nation of Moral Evil (101)

Chapter Five. Ibn Sina's Solution for the Problem of Evil and the Problem of Destiny (125)

Chapter Six. Summary and Conclusions (165)

Abbreviations (171)

Bibliography (173)

Index (183)