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Leslie Allan

Leslie Allan studied philosophy and history of religions at La Trobe University, with particular interest in the intersection of science and religion, theories of knowledge, ethics, and philosophy of mind. There he received the David Hume prize for outstanding achievement in philosophy. He then embarked on a career spanning two decades in training, software development, and business consulting. Now largely retired, Leslie devotes his time to exploring the boundaries between science and philosophy. He is immensely fascinated with the beginnings of the universe, the seemingly absurd nature of the quantum world, and the mystery of consciousness. He currently shares his passion for learning and discovery through his RationalRealm.com website.


Published on the Secular Web


Modern Library

A Response to Clement Dore’s Soul-Making Theodicy

The soul-making theodicy seeks to explain how belief in the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good God is compatible with the evil, pain, and suffering that we experience in our world. The theodicy purports to meet nontheists' arguments from evil by articulating a divine plan in which the occurrence of evil is necessary for enabling the greater good of the character-building of free moral agents. Many philosophers of religion have leveled strong objections against this theodicy, and theistic philosopher Clement Dore has responded to them. In this essay, Leslie Allan questions the effectiveness of Dore's counterarguments to two key objections to the soul-making theodicy.
Kiosk Article