Does the Argument From Evil Make Theistic Belief Irrational? Notes on Laura W. Ekstrom’s “God, Suffering, and the Value of Free Will”

Abstract

Laura W. Ekstrom criticizes theistic answers to the epistemic argument from pointless evil. In her view, there are no plausible justifying reasons for God to permit such evil. In the following, I address some epistemological aspects of Ekstrom’s critique and defend the high instrumental value of human libertarian freedom.