Problem
1. Discuss and compare some of the solutions that philosophers have offered for the problem of evil. What do you believe is the most convincing way to make the existence of an all-powerful God compatible with the existence of evil in the world?
2. Sartre famously says, "Existence precedes essence." What does this mean? Explain how he uses the example of a paper cutter to help illustrate his point. What does this then require of human beings? Demonstrate that you have the right answers to these questions by directly quoting from Sartre's essay.
3. What is Pascal's wager? What sort of argument does Pascal give for believing in God? Is this the "right" sort of reason to believe in God, or are there better reasons to hold such a belief? How might William James or W.K. Clifford respond to his argument? What arguments does James or Clifford make about the evidence needed to hold a belief? From their perspectives, does Pascal provide a rational reason for belief in God? .Develop an argument to defend your position on Pascal's wager, using specific arguments and ideas from James and Clifford to support your position.
4. Carefully explain and analyze the ontological argument of Anselm. What criticisms have Gaunilo and others brought to bear against this argument? Is Anselm's argument convincing? If so, why? If not, why not?
5. Discuss Aquinas's cosmological arguments and his teleological argument for the existence of God. Carefully explain and compare and contrast the five arguments. What criticisms can be brought to bear on these arguments? Which do you think is the strongest and why?