Different Presentations of the Problem

Logical Problem of Evil

Predominantly based in philosophy, the logical problem of evil asserts that the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, and benevolent god is incompatible with the existence of evil.
Pioneered by philosophers such as Epicurus and Hume, this argument relies on a seemingly irreconcilable conflict in the notion of a deity and observable suffering in the world.
Responses to this problem often involve exploring the limitations of human understanding and the possibility of greater goods resulting from suffering.

Evidential Problem of Evil

This approach to the problem of evil bases its argument on the quantity and severity of evil and suffering in the world.
Different from the logical problem of evil, the evidential problem does not argue that God and evil are incompatible concepts, but that the amount of evil makes God’s existence unlikely.
Main figures who contributed to this problem include John L Mackie and William L Rowe.

Theodicy and Responses to the Problem of Evil

This category encompasses various responses to the problem of evil, notably the Augustinian, Iranaean, and Process Theodicy.
The Augustinian Theodicy asserts that God is perfect, and evil exists due to human free will and disobedience. This reflects the Christian doctrine of the Fall of Man.
The Iranaean Theodicy is founded on the idea that evil is a necessary part of human development and maturation, it introduces the concept of soul-making.
Process Theodicy, developed by Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne, suggests God is not omnipotent in the classical sense and cannot prevent every instance of evil.

Religious Contexts and the Problem of Evil

Different religions have diverse explanations for the problem of evil, tied to their own theological and philosophical beliefs. For example, in Buddhism, the problem of evil is framed around the concept of dukkha or suffering, and in Hinduism, it’s connected to the cycle of karma and rebirth.
For monotheistic faiths, the problem of evil carries substantial weight as it directly challenges the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing and entirely good deity.
In atheistic and agnostic projections, the problem of evil might be employed as an argument against the existence of God.