Meta-Normative Semantic Commitments in the Argument from Evil

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of Kalam, Iranian Institute of Philosophy, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jpht.2026.409746.1006183

Abstract

The logical problem of evil remains a significant challenge to theism. This article explores a novel perspective on this problem by examining its meta-normative commitments and the consistency of the underlying premises. Addressing the semantic dimension of the problem, the study contrasts cognitivist and non-cognitivist approaches. It argues that a non-cognitivist framework significantly undermines the argument from evil; if “evil” lacks correspondence to mind-independent reality, it lacks the ontological force to metaphysically negate the divine. Furthermore, the analysis evaluates the interpretation of divine goodness, as this attribute is central to the expectation that God must eliminate evil. The study demonstrates that approaches such as theological non-cognitivism, allegorical interpretation, or those denying an analogy between human and divine goodness fail to establish a meta-normative obligation for the deity to eradicate worldly evil, thereby weakening the problem’s efficacy as a challenge to theism.

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References

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Philosophy of Religion
Volume 23, Issue 2
July 2026
Pages 155-168

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