How do you think this concept reflects within the context of the "problem of evil?" The natural precepts suggests there is no evil, only human limitation/failure to do good, and thereby the idea that God is omnibenevelent could be true. However, in Summa Theologiae, Aquinas posits that the "absence of good... is an evil". But, he relates this idea heavily to "privation" and it becomes more difficult to understand if the nature of evil is man-made or not. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for your comment and support! I'm working on a series of videos on the Problem of Evil as we speak. I wasn't necessarily going to look at Aquinas's ideas. He is, of course, heavily indebted to Augustine once again, such as with his concept of privation, as you mention. I may, however, look at Aquinas more thoroughly because it is interesting! You may know more about this than me, but I think we can go someway in answering the question. First, Augustine's (and, I assume, Aquinas's) definition of evil as a privation of good, doesn't mean there is no evil. Instead, it's a statement on the nature of evil, as you may be aware. For Aquinas, then, one can still sin and do evil, and they do this by going against reason, against human nature. I think the point for Aquinas is that this is not necessarily done maliciously. People think they are pursuing good when in fact they are doing evil. Extreme example: Hitler thinking he was doing a really great thing, when in fact he was as far from the good as you can get.
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How do you think this concept reflects within the context of the "problem of evil?" The natural precepts suggests there is no evil, only human limitation/failure to do good, and thereby the idea that God is omnibenevelent could be true. However, in Summa Theologiae, Aquinas posits that the "absence of good... is an evil". But, he relates this idea heavily to "privation" and it becomes more difficult to understand if the nature of evil is man-made or not.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you for your comment and support!
I'm working on a series of videos on the Problem of Evil as we speak. I wasn't necessarily going to look at Aquinas's ideas. He is, of course, heavily indebted to Augustine once again, such as with his concept of privation, as you mention. I may, however, look at Aquinas more thoroughly because it is interesting!
You may know more about this than me, but I think we can go someway in answering the question. First, Augustine's (and, I assume, Aquinas's) definition of evil as a privation of good, doesn't mean there is no evil. Instead, it's a statement on the nature of evil, as you may be aware. For Aquinas, then, one can still sin and do evil, and they do this by going against reason, against human nature. I think the point for Aquinas is that this is not necessarily done maliciously. People think they are pursuing good when in fact they are doing evil. Extreme example: Hitler thinking he was doing a really great thing, when in fact he was as far from the good as you can get.
Need more coverage of women's philosophies. Mens takes are kind of half baked.