Christian Philosophers Confronting the Mystery of Evil

Abstract

Evil is a mystery as ancient as humanity itself. The great religious traditions, to­gether with philosophy and theology, have always reflected on its essence, meaning, and the possibility of rationalizing it, albeit partially. In this essay we investigate evil from a philosophical standpoint. We do so in dialogue with some contemporary Christian philosophers who reflected together on this topic, recalling decisive figures and mo­ments in Western philosophy as well in the Christian tradition. We begin with ancient thought, mentioning some elements of the Aristotelian heritage. We focus on patrology and its reflection around original/ancestral sin. We then evoke the medieval debates around the desirability of evil as evil, as well as the modern theodicies of Leibniz and Rosmini. We also approach contemporary philosophy, pointing to the contribution of some of its protagonists, such as Nietzsche, Heidegger, Girard, Pareyson, and Severino. Finally, we focus on some current problems in the philosophy of praxis, science, and bioethics: how to repair evil committed, how to interpret the technological advances, and ecocide.