The All-Happy God

Abstract

Is God happy? In the tradition of classical theism, the answer has long been “Yes.” And, just as God is not merely powerful, but all-powerful, so too God is not merely happy, but all-happy or infinitely happy. Far from being empty praise, God’s happiness does important work, in particular, in explaining both human existence and human destiny. This essay is an attempt to give divine happiness the serious philosophical treatment it deserves. It turns out that, as with many divine traits, ascribing all-happiness to God is not without potential problems. I raise and attempt to address what I take to be the most serious problem, which I call “The Subjective Problem of Evil.”

Making sense of romantic jealousy in late 18th-century Sweden – the experiences of Pehr Stenberg

“…The height of emotional suffering is described in terms of being so full of anguish that he 'can barely exist', 86 that his pain is 'at times almost insufferable' 87 and that he experiences a 'corrosive sorrow and painful anxiety'. 88 He writes that his painful suspicions create 'wounds in his heart' 89 and describes the 'bitter pain raging' in his breast. 90 Conducting a funeral, he wishes he could be laid in the ground instead of the deceased in order to be free of his torment.…”