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Schelling and the problem of evil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2023

Nahum Brown Open the ORCID record for Nahum Brown [Opens in a new window]
Nahum Brown*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy and Religion, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Email: nahumbrown@gmail.com
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Abstract

This article contributes to discussions about the problem of evil and Schelling studies by analysing Schelling's conception of the problem in his 1809 Freiheitsschrift essay. I explicate Schelling's critical response to four classic solutions to the problem (embodiment, degree, dualism, and divine forms) and outline his positive solution. My thesis is that Schelling offers a unique theodicy by arguing for a dialectical conception of the infinite omnipotence of God. In contrast to traditional notions of the infinite as the opposite of the finite, Schelling claims that God is only truly infinite if also embodied in the finite, an embodiment enacted through the human freedom to do evil. To explore Schelling's project, I draw parallels between his account of God's omnipotence and Hegel's ‘good infinite’ and situate Schelling's thesis within Mackie's discussion of the problem of evil in ‘Evil and Omnipotence’.

Keywords

SchellingFreiheitsschriftthe problem of evilinfinitytheodicyMackie
Type
Original Article
Information
Religious Studies , First View , pp. 1 - 15
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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