Evil in Judaism: The Philosophy of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People
Hosted By: My Jewish Learning
Why do bad things happen to good people (and good things to bad people)?
The problem of evil is often framed in these familiar terms. A more precise description of the problem is this: Why is it that in a world created by an omnipotent, omniscient, wise and good God there are any imperfections at all? Why is there disaster, suffering and sin in God’s creation?
Over the course of two online classes with leading philosophy expert Steven Nadler, we will look at several classic Jewish philosopical approaches to this problem.
Starting with the Book of Job, we will then consider the solutions proposed by Philo of Alexandria, Saadya ben Joseph, Maimonides and Spinoza.
You’ll come away from class with a new understanding of Judaism, good and evil, and your place in an ever-evolving modern world.
