Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
0:00 Introduction
01:10 What is the evidential argument from evil?
07:33 How does the skeptical theist respond to this argument?
12:55 What are some challenges to skeptical theism?
15:41 What do you try to show in this paper? Answer: Hopefully use the theoretical goods of skeptical theism to respond to the problem of evil but at the same time not letting in all these other forms of skepticism
17:22 Negative skeptical theism
19:04 Positive skeptical theism
21:10 Similarity between positive and negative skeptical theism
21:23 Difference between positive and negative skeptical theism
22:30 Can you elaborate a bit on Bergmann’s negative skeptical theism view?
26:43 Recap the positive skeptical theism view
28:51 What are two second-order reasons God may have for creating a world with seemingly gratuitous evils?
29:05 First second-order reason: epistemic distance
32:19 Second second-order reason: this world allows humans to bring about the greatest acts of love and compassion
41:53 Challenge to the second second-order reason: if someone believes no evil is truly gratuitous due to skeptical theism, does it remove the motivation for that person to intervene in evil to show love and compassion
45:17 Why do you think positive skeptical theism is the better account?
52:44 The Bayesian Comparison between Positive and Negative Skeptical Theism
59:40 How would you like to conclude this discussion?
A common objection to skeptical theism is that if applied consistently it leads one to be skeptical of things we do in fact know about the external world and morality. In this interview, Dr. John DePoe describes two types of skeptical theism- positive vs. negative, and argues that positive skeptical theism avoids this worry.
For more, check out Dr. John DePoe's paper on the topic linked below.
docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxqb2huZGVwb2V8Z3g6MzIyYTc3NjY5NWM1M2NhNw
Please consider becoming one of my patrons. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchristian
For more resources on Christian philosophy and theology, go to theanalyticchristian.com
0:00 Introduction
01:10 What is the evidential argument from evil?
07:33 How does the skeptical theist respond to this argument?
12:55 What are some challenges to skeptical theism?
15:41 What do you try to show in this paper? Answer: Hopefully use the theoretical goods of skeptical theism to respond to the problem of evil but at the same time not letting in all these other forms of skepticism
17:22 Negative skeptical theism
19:04 Positive skeptical theism
21:10 Similarity between positive and negative skeptical theism
21:23 Difference between positive and negative skeptical theism
22:30 Can you elaborate a bit on Bergmann’s negative skeptical theism view?
26:43 Recap the positive skeptical theism view
28:51 What are two second-order reasons God may have for creating a world with seemingly gratuitous evils?
29:05 First second-order reason: epistemic distance
32:19 Second second-order reason: this world allows humans to bring about the greatest acts of love and compassion
41:53 Challenge to the second second-order reason: if someone believes no evil is truly gratuitous due to skeptical theism, does it remove the motivation for that person to intervene in evil to show love and compassion
45:17 Why do you think positive skeptical theism is the better account?
52:44 The Bayesian Comparison between Positive and Negative Skeptical Theism
59:40 How would you like to conclude this discussion?
A common objection to skeptical theism is that if applied consistently it leads one to be skeptical of things we do in fact know about the external world and morality. In this interview, Dr. John DePoe describes two types of skeptical theism- positive vs. negative, and argues that positive skeptical theism avoids this worry.
For more, check out Dr. John DePoe's paper on the topic linked below.
docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxqb2huZGVwb2V8Z3g6MzIyYTc3NjY5NWM1M2NhNw
Please consider becoming one of my patrons. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchristian
For more resources on Christian philosophy and theology, go to theanalyticchristian.com
