Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
0:00 Introduction
01:11 How did you get interested in the Evil God challenge?
02:59 What is the Evil God challenge?
05:12 Formal Argument Structure of the Evil God challenge
08:44 Premise 1 is the symmetry thesis. What are the three sub-theses of the symmetry thesis?
14:31 Do all the three symmetries need to hold for the Evil God challenge to succeed?
16:46 How do you respond to the bracketing move?
18:28 How does intrinsic symmetry not hold between Good God and Evil God?
20:47 If the Evil God theory is more incompatible with other metaphysical theories or hypotheses than the Good God theory, does it make the Good God theory more plausible over the Evil God theory?
22:09 What are some of the metaphysical theories or hypotheses that are more compatible with the Good God theory in comparison to the Evil God theory?
22:50 Description of the privation theory of evil
28:55 On the functional account of the privation theory of evil, is the Evil God Challenge symmetry with the Good God theory still successful?
32:03 How is the thesis of moral motivation more compatible with the Good God theory in comparison to the Evil God theory?
34:54 How does the natural theology symmetry break down?
42:32 If Evil God hates Himself, He would desire to frustrate His own desires, would He even try to frustrate His own desire to torture other creatures?
43:58 Why do you think the theodicy symmetry fails?
50:37 Are pragmatic arguments good reasons to believe in the Good God versus the Evil God?
51:33 Short summary of why you believe the Evil God challenge ultimately fails
Dr. Max Baker-Hytch argues that the evil God challenge can succeed only if the "symmetry thesis" holds, but this symmetry thesis breaks down in three distinct ways.
To explore Dr. Baker-Hytch's argument in depth, check out his paper linked below.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/papq.12304
To hear a defense of the evil God challenge, check out my interview with Dr. Asha Lancaster-Thomas linked below.
For more of Max's work, check out his website below.
theocca.org/author/max-baker-hytch
Please consider becoming a patron. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchristian
For merch and more, go to theanalyticchristian.com
0:00 Introduction
01:11 How did you get interested in the Evil God challenge?
02:59 What is the Evil God challenge?
05:12 Formal Argument Structure of the Evil God challenge
08:44 Premise 1 is the symmetry thesis. What are the three sub-theses of the symmetry thesis?
14:31 Do all the three symmetries need to hold for the Evil God challenge to succeed?
16:46 How do you respond to the bracketing move?
18:28 How does intrinsic symmetry not hold between Good God and Evil God?
20:47 If the Evil God theory is more incompatible with other metaphysical theories or hypotheses than the Good God theory, does it make the Good God theory more plausible over the Evil God theory?
22:09 What are some of the metaphysical theories or hypotheses that are more compatible with the Good God theory in comparison to the Evil God theory?
22:50 Description of the privation theory of evil
28:55 On the functional account of the privation theory of evil, is the Evil God Challenge symmetry with the Good God theory still successful?
32:03 How is the thesis of moral motivation more compatible with the Good God theory in comparison to the Evil God theory?
34:54 How does the natural theology symmetry break down?
42:32 If Evil God hates Himself, He would desire to frustrate His own desires, would He even try to frustrate His own desire to torture other creatures?
43:58 Why do you think the theodicy symmetry fails?
50:37 Are pragmatic arguments good reasons to believe in the Good God versus the Evil God?
51:33 Short summary of why you believe the Evil God challenge ultimately fails
Dr. Max Baker-Hytch argues that the evil God challenge can succeed only if the "symmetry thesis" holds, but this symmetry thesis breaks down in three distinct ways.
To explore Dr. Baker-Hytch's argument in depth, check out his paper linked below.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/papq.12304
To hear a defense of the evil God challenge, check out my interview with Dr. Asha Lancaster-Thomas linked below.
For more of Max's work, check out his website below.
theocca.org/author/max-baker-hytch
Please consider becoming a patron. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchristian
For merch and more, go to theanalyticchristian.com
