Hostname: page-component-74656f9884-8r8nv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-10T11:40:53.752Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Religious experience and the evidential argument from evil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 September 2002

DAVID SILVER
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

This paper examines Alvin Plantinga's defence of theistic belief in the light of Paul Draper's formulation of the problem of evil. Draper argues (a) that the facts concerning the distribution of pain and pleasure in the world are better explained by a hypothesis which does not include the existence of God than by a hypothesis which does; and (b) that this provides an epistemic challenge to theists. Plantinga counters that a theist could accept (a) yet still rationally maintain a belief in God. His defence of theism depends on the epistemic value of religious experience. I argue, however, that Plantinga's defence of theism is not successful.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press