John Mackie:Evil And Omnipotence

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a way
that a good thing always eliminates evil as far as it can, and that there are no
limits to what an omnipotent thing can do. From these it follows that a good
omnipotent thing eliminates evil completely, and then the propositions that a
good omnipotent thing exists, and that evil exists, are incompatible”(p.160).
Mackie states that a good, omnipotent being would eliminate evil entirely, and
it is impossible that a good omnipotent being exists while there is still evil in
the world.
The next part of Mackie’s argument is outlined in his fallacious-solutions
section. It is here that the solutions to the problem of evil will prove
applicable but fallacious through argument. Through the use of four distinct
solutions, Mackie explains that his goal in each section will be to consider
whether or not it is possible to arrive at an adequate solution by modifying
parts of each solution.
Mackie’s first solution is: “Good cannot exist without
evil” or “Evil is necessary as a counterpart to good”(p. 162). Mackie examines
the point that if there were no evil, there would be no barometer by which we as
humans could judge whether an action is good or evil. The question over whether God is bound by logical necessities is discussed next. Mackie goes on to relate good and evil as counterparts, much the same way as one would relate great and small. Mackie states that great and small are words that may be used as counterparts, yet they cannot be used as set features for anything. This comparison is done to explain that great and small cannot exist without each other. Mackie then uses another analogy to show how good and evil
are used in a complimentary manner. Mackie uses redness as an example to show
that the only way we know that something is red is because of the things that
are not red. Without the non-red things, one would never have noticed the red
things. He then elaborates that we observe and give na...