The problem of evil : Lewis, Hume and a philosophy of suspicion

Abstract

This dissertation explores the problem of evil from a philosophical point of view. It takes in consideration what C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain and David Hume in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, along with other philosophers, have said about this serious dilemma. This dialogue between philosophers accompanies the reader throughout the dissertation in an attempt to find an answer to this problem. Finally, the branch known as philosophy of suspicion is considered as a way of viewing the answers typically provided for solving the dilemma between evil and a benevolent God. Reference will be made to the three masters of suspicion: Marx, Freud and Nietzsche, in order to bring out the view that belief in a good God, even when faced with evil, stems out of a hope for a better and happier life.