Michael J. Almeida presents a powerful argument which holds that several widely believed and largely undisputed objections to the idea of the existence of God are in fact just philosophical dogmas. He challenges some of the most well-entrenched principles in philosophical theology, which have served as basic assumptions in influential apriori, atheological arguments. But most theists also maintain that the principles express apriori necessary truths, including
those principles that are presumed to follow from the nature of an essentially omnipotent, essentially omniscient, essentially perfectly good and necessarily existing being. Among the atheological
arguments that deploy these philosophical dogmas are the Logical Problem of Evil, the Logical Problem of the Best Possible World, the Logical Problem of Good Enough Worlds, the Problem of Divine Freedom, the Problem of No Best World, and the Evidential Problem of Evil. In Freedom, God, and Worlds Almeida claims that these arguments present no important challenge to the existence of an Anselmian God. Not only are these philosophical
principles false, they are necessarily false.
Michael J. Almeida presents a powerful argument which holds that several widely believed and largely undisputed objections to the idea of the existence of God are in fact just philosophical dogmas. He challenges some of the most well-entrenched principles in philosophical theology, which have served as basic assumptions in influential apriori, atheological arguments. But most theists also maintain that the principles express apriori necessary truths, including
those principles that are presumed to follow from the nature of an essentially omnipotent, essentially omniscient, essentially perfectly good and necessarily existing being. Among the atheological
arguments that deploy these philosophical dogmas are the Logical Problem of Evil, the Logical Problem of the Best Possible World, the Logical Problem of Good Enough Worlds, the Problem of Divine Freedom, the Problem of No Best World, and the Evidential Problem of Evil. In Freedom, God, and Worlds Almeida claims that these arguments present no important challenge to the existence of an Anselmian God. Not only are these philosophical
principles false, they are necessarily false.
Introduction
1: A Moderate Anselmian Plea
2: Metaphysical Atheological Arguments and the Free Will
Defense
3: Three Important Objections
4: Unrestricted Actualization, Freedom and Morally Perfect
Worlds
5: The Logical Problem of Evil Redux
6: Four Important Objections
7: Four More Objections
8: Redeeming Worlds
9: Conclusions
Bibliography
Index
Michael J. Almeida is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he has taught since 1990. He completed his PhD at the Ohio State University, and his research specializes in metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethical theory.
Almeida has produced a compelling and challenging book that is
conversant with, and demands the attention of, contemporary debates
in philosophy of religion
*Jamie Boulding, The Expository Times*
Almeida offers a rigorous challenge to some widely accepted
assumptions that underlie various philosophical arguments against
the existence of God . . . Almeida defends a view implying that it
is not an a priori necessary truth that God has the essential
properties of perfect goodness, omnipotence, omniscience, or
necessary existence . . . The book's nine chapters develop this
view with exceptional rigor and detail, along with due attention to
the relevant philosophical works opposing theism . . . Highly
recommended.
*Paul K. Moser, Choice*
Michael Almeida offers us a detailed defense of moderate Anselmian
theism from all versions of the argument from evil . . . This is a
brilliant book
*Peter Forrest, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews*
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