Reconciling the Existence of Evil and Free Will in Alvin Plantinga's Philosophy

Abstract

From the dawn of civilization, the reality of evil—whether arising from human actions or natural disasters—has remained an inescapable dimension of human experience. Tragedy, suffering, injustice, and premature death continually provoke reflection on the meaning and justification of evil’s existence. Within philosophical theology, this concern crystallizes in a central question: Is the presence of evil compatible with the existence of an omnipotent and perfectly good God? This study examines Alvin Plantinga’s response to this challenge, focusing on his Free Will Defense as a philosophical account that seeks to reconcile divine omnipotence and goodness with the reality of moral evil. By analyzing the logical structure of his argument, the paper evaluates whether the appeal to human freedom successfully undermines the claim that the existence of evil renders belief in God logically inconsistent.