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1、The Problem of Evil-A Universal Issue Seen From Western Perspectives ContentsAbstract (English)Abstract (Chinese)1 Introducing the issue - 32 Biblical basis of the problem of evil - 42.1 Adamic myth2.2 The new testament between God and Man3 Theological perspectives on the problem of evil - 53.1 Phil
2、osophical methods3.2 Augustines theodicy3.3 Pre-Augustine and post-Augustine reflections4 Intellectual exploration and trends of development - 114.1 The trends in modern ages4.2 Contemporary significance5 Conclusion - 13AcknowledgementReferencesAppendix The Problem of Evil -A Universal Issue Seen Fr
3、om Western PerspectivesAbstract:Human race had had the capability to land on Moon, to travel in the outer space for decades, but no one in the race dare to declare his control of his inner space after thousands of year efforts. This article is going to give a brief glance on western peoples perennia
4、l efforts in dealing with the problem of evil, which is believed to be an irreducible nature of beings in western theology. Ill present the arguments hold by Augustine and his profound influence on later reformers and the whole Christianity. Though its mostly concerning with the theological aspects,
5、 I also paid attention to the philosophical explanations and its practical meaning for us. Then the introduction of modern situation, starting from Nietzsche, would stimulate the readers interest in connecting the reality with the abstract concept of evil. And my own designed survey, to some extent,
6、 will show the contemporary attitude towards the issue.Key words：evil, Bible, Augustine, theodicy, 摘要尽管人类登上月球、遨游太空的梦想早在几十年前就以实现，但至今人类几千年的努力也没能让我们真正的了解自己的内在世界。本文将对西方神学中认为是人性中不可克服的罪恶因素进行简单分析；将具体分析奥古斯丁对这一问题的观点，及其对改教者和整个基督教是影响。虽然文章的大量分析是来自神学观点，但也引入了哲学思想。而接下来对于现代状况的介绍，尤其是尼采之后，希望能引导读者把理论与实践相联系从而分析实际问题。我的调
7、查分析将从一定程度上反映当代人对于罪恶问题的态度。关键词：罪恶，圣经，奥古斯丁，神正论1. Introducing the issueThe most important thing in the world is to know oneself.-Montaigne (1533-1592)When someone tells a lie, pretends to be what he isnt, or tried his best to survive by any kind of means; we always say “Thats Man!” and it seems that mos
8、t of us have a consensus on Man (ourselves). However, whats Man indeed? In retrospect of two-thousand years of western culture, great minds had made their perennial efforts to get a fixed definition of human kind or at least some essential traits which might be called the nature of human, but the qu
9、estion not only has not been settled, on the contrast, the various answers which lead to different directions have caused “a seriously cultural and ethical crisis” 德 恩斯特卡西尔 著，甘阳 译，（1985）人论上海译文出版社 P29. Just as Max Scheler who first smell the crisis protest: in any period, we have never been so integr
10、ative about ourselves like today, since there are three distinguished humanics: one based on science, another on philosophy and the third one on theology; and each of them is separate from others. 德 马克斯舍勒 著，李伯杰 译，（1989）人在宇宙中的地位贵州人民出版社 P13Back to the classical Greek philosophy, we can easily detect S
11、ocrates definition: human is an existence that has reasonable responses to those rational questions. 德 恩斯特卡西尔 著，甘阳 译，（1985）人论上海译文出版社 P9This definition concerns the knowledge and morality aspects of human, as Aristotle stated the search of knowledge is part of human nature 亚历士多德，980 A.D， （1981）形而上学 商
12、务印书馆 P1, and knowledge helps us to establish the moral system which guides us to be more rational about our knowledge. As Stoicism insisted, Socrates also held the same basic view that the privileges and the first responsibility of being a man is to inquiry himself, to ask whats the relationship bet
13、ween him and the sense inside him that governs all. 马可奥勒留 121-180 著，何怀宏 译，（2000）沉思录北京 生活读书新知三联书店From this point, Stoicism made humanities strongly feel the obligation of being harmonious with Nature in knowledge while being independent from Nature in morality. That is to say man should make full use
14、 of their wisdom and freedom to search for knowledge. This freedom is thought to be the fundamental virtue in Stoicism but turned to be the essential evil and fault in theology (Christianity), which had been the master of human cognition in human culture from two thousands of years ago. Numerous the
15、ologians, such as Augustine, John Calvin, and Tertullian, gave their own understanding of human, and mostly according to Bible, the only holy book for the followers of the religious.The one based on science started in Renaissance when a culture was created to free man to discover and enjoy the world in a way not possible under the medieval Churchs dispensation. Scien
