The Axiology of Theism

Abstract

Theism is the view that God exists; naturalism is the view that there are no supernatural beings, processes, mechanisms, or forces. This Element explores whether things are better, worse, or neither on theism relative to naturalism. It introduces readers to the central philosophical issues that bear on this question, and it distinguishes a wide range of ways it can be answered. It critically examines four views, three of which hold (in various ways) that things are better on theism than on naturalism, and one of which holds just the opposite.

The axiology of theism: Problems and prospects

“…In this Section I examine a new type of pro‐theism that has recently been explored by Klaas J. Kraay in Chapter two of his recent book, The Axiology of Theism (2021). This version of pro‐theism expands the current debate in the axiology of theism, which so far usually focuses on comparing the actual world to a very nearby world, instead to the axiology of all of modal space.…”

“…Namely, they are making judgments about the actual world (supposing it is theistic) and the epistemically closest possible naturalistic world 3 . Recently, however, Kraay has explored a view he calls Global Modal Space Pro‐Theism (2021). This shifts the discussion from axiological comparisons about the actual world and actual lives of persons to ones about modal space in its entirety.…”

“…Kraay observes that if theism is true, then certain states of affairs are impossible. For example, if God exists, then there are no possible worlds that contain gratuitous evil (Kraay, 2021, p. 10). Kraay then proceeds to examine three different ways of defending Global, wide modal space pro‐theism (GWMSPT), including the claims that (1) on theism, every world is overall unsurpassable; (2) on theism, every world is overall good; and (3) on theism, every world is overall better.…”

“…Kraay quotes Thomas Morris on this point:

If there is a being who exists necessarily, and is necessarily omnipotent, omniscient, and good, then many states of affairs which otherwise would represent genuine possibilities, and which by all non‐theistic tests of logic and semantics do represent possibilities, are strictly impossible in the strongest sense. In particular, worlds containing certain sorts of disvalue or evil are metaphysically ruled out by the nature of God, divinely precluded from the realm of real possibility (Morris, 1987, p. 48, emphasis added quoted in Kraay, 2021, p. 17).

…”

“…The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to the main themes in the current debate between anti‐theists and pro‐theists. After that I will examine a novel form of pro‐theism, recently offered by Klaas J. Kraay (2021). This view says that modal space is overall better on theism than on naturalism, and this is due to God's existence, nature, or activity.…”