The Limits of Theodicies for the Problem of Evil | Michael Tooley

*Can any theodicy explain the enormity of evil?* Michael Tooley tests free will, soul-making, natural law, karma, reincarnation, and the afterlife, asking whether these responses can account for horrendous suffering without requiring a radically different kind of world. 0:00 Theodicies Confront the Problem of Evil 1:10 Free Will Faces Scientific and Philosophical Challenges 5:18 Free Will May Not Justify Horrendous Evil 9:08 Natural Evil and Soul-Making Extend the Problem 12:20 Different Natural Laws Could Reduce Suffering 15:02 Karma and Reincarnation Raise Problems of Identity and Empathy 19:45 Afterlife and Universalism Narrow the Theistic Response *Michael Tooley* is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado Boulder. He received a Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Research Award in 1998 for his book _Time, Tense, and Causation,_ and is the author of the new book _Causation: A Defense of a Non-Reductionist Approach_ (Oxford, 2026). *More from Michael Tooley on Closer To Truth:* * Closer To Truth: The Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJr3pJl27pLLkP0kHQKL9nZh35UkgkR_ * What Things Really Exist? - CTT Interview Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJr3pJl27pL23EJxiJggorKB66CHSAU- * Closer To Truth contributors: https://closertotruth.com/contributor/michael-tooley/ *Subscribe to Closer To Truth:* https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV *Join the Community:* * Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ * Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com * Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ * Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ *Follow Us:* * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ * X: https://twitter.com/CloserToTruth Closer To Truth, created and hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, presents the world's greatest thinkers exploring humanity's deepest questions. Disco