Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
0:00 Introduction
02:01 How did you get interested in the Evil God challenge?
04:20 What do you aim to show in your papers on the Evil God Challenge?
05:18 What is the good God hypothesis?
07:10 What are the three types of the Evil God challenge?
10:00 What is the symmetry thesis?
11:30 Can you explain the problem of good and reverse theodices would work in this case?
13:27 Elaborate on the Evil God view why this Evil God allows free will to get evil
14:27 Elaborate on the soul building theodicy according to the Evil God view
15:07 Explain why the Evil God would permit good
16:37 Explain how the symmetry thesis is applied to the traditional arguments for God’s existence
20:39 First objection to the Evil God challenge: Asymmetry objections
24:31 Does the privation theory of evil commit you to believing that all cases of evil just lacking goodness
26:20 Second objection to the Evil God challenge: the well being objection
29:45 If the traditional arguments for God’s existence only gets us a Creator or Designer, could we just use pragmatic reasons at this point to get us to a Good God instead an Evil God?
33:56 The pragmatic reasons would only work in the case of true symmetry or a 50:50 tie of Good God vs. Evil God, it would be a reason to go the God Evil route.
33:39 Third objection to the Evil God challenge: Impossibility objections
37:12 Do people always do what they think is ultimately best?
39:56 People always do what is always best, but because they had wrong information, they did not truly do what was best? But in God’s case He always does what is best because He is omniscient and won’t be ultimately mistaken what is best. Thoughts?
41:12 Is the Good God view simpler because the Evil God has an undesirable pair of desires?
42:31 Can Evil God satisfy all His desires?
45:45 Is the Good God hypothesis simpler than the Evil God because there are not limits on the Good God but there are arbitrary limits on the Evil God?
47:47 Summary and Final thoughts
Dr. Asha Lancaster-Thomas has written a two part paper providing an
overview of the Evil-God Challenge. The papers are linked below.
(Part 1)
compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/phc3.12502
(Part 2)
compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phc3.12543
In this interview, Dr. Lancaster-Thomas summarizes three versions of the argument, and defends one version against various objections. In a follow up interview, Dr. Max Baker Hytch will critique the argument.
Please consider becoming a patron. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchr
For merch and more go to theanalyticchristian.com
0:00 Introduction
02:01 How did you get interested in the Evil God challenge?
04:20 What do you aim to show in your papers on the Evil God Challenge?
05:18 What is the good God hypothesis?
07:10 What are the three types of the Evil God challenge?
10:00 What is the symmetry thesis?
11:30 Can you explain the problem of good and reverse theodices would work in this case?
13:27 Elaborate on the Evil God view why this Evil God allows free will to get evil
14:27 Elaborate on the soul building theodicy according to the Evil God view
15:07 Explain why the Evil God would permit good
16:37 Explain how the symmetry thesis is applied to the traditional arguments for God’s existence
20:39 First objection to the Evil God challenge: Asymmetry objections
24:31 Does the privation theory of evil commit you to believing that all cases of evil just lacking goodness
26:20 Second objection to the Evil God challenge: the well being objection
29:45 If the traditional arguments for God’s existence only gets us a Creator or Designer, could we just use pragmatic reasons at this point to get us to a Good God instead an Evil God?
33:56 The pragmatic reasons would only work in the case of true symmetry or a 50:50 tie of Good God vs. Evil God, it would be a reason to go the God Evil route.
33:39 Third objection to the Evil God challenge: Impossibility objections
37:12 Do people always do what they think is ultimately best?
39:56 People always do what is always best, but because they had wrong information, they did not truly do what was best? But in God’s case He always does what is best because He is omniscient and won’t be ultimately mistaken what is best. Thoughts?
41:12 Is the Good God view simpler because the Evil God has an undesirable pair of desires?
42:31 Can Evil God satisfy all His desires?
45:45 Is the Good God hypothesis simpler than the Evil God because there are not limits on the Good God but there are arbitrary limits on the Evil God?
47:47 Summary and Final thoughts
Dr. Asha Lancaster-Thomas has written a two part paper providing an
overview of the Evil-God Challenge. The papers are linked below.
(Part 1)
compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/phc3.12502
(Part 2)
compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phc3.12543
In this interview, Dr. Lancaster-Thomas summarizes three versions of the argument, and defends one version against various objections. In a follow up interview, Dr. Max Baker Hytch will critique the argument.
Please consider becoming a patron. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchr
For merch and more go to theanalyticchristian.com
