Bogusław Wolniewicz’s Analysis of Pierre Bayle’s Critique of Theodicy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/szhf.2025.025Keywords
Bogusław Wolniewicz, Pierre Bayle, evil, theodicyAbstract
According to Pierre Bayle (1696–1697), a precursor of the French En lightenment, best known for his Dictionnaire historique et critique, traditional theod icy is flawed in that it uses human free will to explain the existence of moral evil. In his view, God could eliminate sin by endowing sinners with divine grace, thereby biasing their will towards good. In response to Bayle’s critique of theodicy, Bogusław Wolnie wicz1 concludes that sinners must exist according to the laws of logic, and that the freedom of the human will is an obstacle that God’s omnipotence cannot overcome.
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