The man who coined the term «theodicy» (theodicée), the great mathematician, phycist, philosopher, and diplomat Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz attempted to reconcile the concept of an omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent diety with the evil that is so evident in the world. His solution was that the relation between evil and good was so complex and intertwined that making the world better in one respect would inevitably make it worse in others ; i e, this was the best of all possible worlds (le meilleur des mondes possibles). Voltaire, as readers of Candide will remember, did not find this analysis wholly convincing, nor do I. But if one wishes to maintain his premises (which, I admit, I find intenable), then Leibnitz’ analysis is probably as good as one can come up with - in any event, without a doubt more accomplished theologically than any work by Marion Gordon Robertson….
The man who coined the term «theodicy» (theodicée), the great mathematician, phycist, philosopher, and diplomat Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz attempted to reconcile the concept of an omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent diety with the evil that is so evident in the world. His solution was that the relation between evil and good was so complex and intertwined that making the world better in one respect would inevitably make it worse in others ; i e, this was the best of all possible worlds (le meilleur des mondes possibles). Voltaire, as readers of Candide will remember, did not find this analysis wholly convincing, nor do I. But if one wishes to maintain his premises (which, I admit, I find intenable), then Leibnitz’ analysis is probably as good as one can come up with - in any event, without a doubt more accomplished theologically than any work by Marion Gordon Robertson….
Henri