Argument From Evil (Buddhist Perspective)
Terrence Sharrer, Phil-101 Knowledge and Reality, 12/10/2013
INTRODUCTION:
In this paper I will first defend “The Argument from Evil” from the Buddhist notion of the concept of “The Argument of Dukkha” or (suffering or unsatisfactoriness). In the Buddhist argument the attributes of an all powerful, all knowing and all benevolent God to humans cannot exist due to the concept of Dukkha. I will explain this in my thesis defense with a correlation from a western and eastern thought. Buddha denied the existence of God by the concept of Dukkha which is similar to “The Argument from Evil”.
BACKROUND EXPLANATION: Buddhism is unique in comparison with all other world religions and their concepts of God. In Buddhism there is no place for an all powerful, benevolent, or all knowing God due to the fact that Buddhism in the Theravada tradition, which is the oldest form of Buddhism, recognizes certain superior beings known as Deva’s which in concept are individuals that have attained a higher state of consciousness and still suffer from delusions and suffering therefore they are not fundamentally superior to humans. In Western philosophy a number of arguments have been brought forth to prove or disprove the existence of God. Buddha, long before anticipated these arguments like the “First Cause” argument.
1. Everything must have a cause
2. God is considered the first cause of everything.
3. Buddhist theory of causation says that everything must have preconditions for existence.
4. Therefore God cannot exist because of the theory of causation.
The argument most frequently used by Buddha is what is now called the “Argument from Evil” or the “Argument from Dukkha” (suffering or unsatisfactoriness). This argument states that suffering and unsatisfactoriness cannot be reconciled by the existence of an all knowing, all powerful, all good God which is detailed in the verses of the Bhudridatta-Jakata.
If the creator of the world entire They call God, of every
INTRODUCTION:
In this paper I will first defend “The Argument from Evil” from the Buddhist notion of the concept of “The Argument of Dukkha” or (suffering or unsatisfactoriness). In the Buddhist argument the attributes of an all powerful, all knowing and all benevolent God to humans cannot exist due to the concept of Dukkha. I will explain this in my thesis defense with a correlation from a western and eastern thought. Buddha denied the existence of God by the concept of Dukkha which is similar to “The Argument from Evil”.
BACKROUND EXPLANATION: Buddhism is unique in comparison with all other world religions and their concepts of God. In Buddhism there is no place for an all powerful, benevolent, or all knowing God due to the fact that Buddhism in the Theravada tradition, which is the oldest form of Buddhism, recognizes certain superior beings known as Deva’s which in concept are individuals that have attained a higher state of consciousness and still suffer from delusions and suffering therefore they are not fundamentally superior to humans. In Western philosophy a number of arguments have been brought forth to prove or disprove the existence of God. Buddha, long before anticipated these arguments like the “First Cause” argument.
1. Everything must have a cause
2. God is considered the first cause of everything.
3. Buddhist theory of causation says that everything must have preconditions for existence.
4. Therefore God cannot exist because of the theory of causation.
The argument most frequently used by Buddha is what is now called the “Argument from Evil” or the “Argument from Dukkha” (suffering or unsatisfactoriness). This argument states that suffering and unsatisfactoriness cannot be reconciled by the existence of an all knowing, all powerful, all good God which is detailed in the verses of the Bhudridatta-Jakata.
If the creator of the world entire They call God, of every