The Dilemma of Evil

In On Free Choice of the Will, Augustine investigates the root and the cause of evil, as well as the relationship of evil to the law. Augustine views the concept of evil in cosmic terms, thus his logical justifications stem from the divinity of providence. In other words, essentially his major concern is whether God orchestrated evil. The question arises whether evil is an independent force that resulted from the pre-existing conditions of the universe, or is it feasible to assign responsibility of evil to the Creator? According to Augustine, all learning is good, therefore humans cannot learn to do evil things, but merely things that must be shunned (2). This is where Augustine proposes that a person must attain a good will which he describes as, “desire to live upright and honorable lives” (19). Good will however, also creates a sense of freedom and responsibility instilled upon humans. Every individual must have good will, but those who don’t are essentially the creators of evil. Thus, there is a shift, in which the blame for evil falls upon an individual rather than on God. In other words, if evil cannot be learned, but only the things that must be avoided are acquired, those that choose to do the things that must be avoided-- are perpetrators of evil.

Furthermore, Augustine scrutinizes the relationship between the law and morals. He contends that the law itself is good but it can be enacted by those who are not. Augustine metaphorically suggests that each person has law in his hands, reiterating the alternative between good will and absence of it for those who break the law. Augustine finds no justification for those who choose to break the law. There is also a hint that if the law creates leeway for some crime, there is still no escape from punishment, because the divine providence avenges the crime fully.

Augustine comprehends that the laws are conventional, and although good people elect good magistrates those rulers might fail to uphold a standard of justice. Hence, because everything changes-- the law has no immunity. Augustine calls these laws temporal. However, there are also natural and universal laws that are called eternal laws. These laws are according to which “It is just that all things be perfectly ordered” (11). All temporal laws derive from the eternal laws that are unadulterated. The concern is, if eternal laws are catalysts for creation of temporal laws, can one say that they are truly universal? And how does it help those who are unjustly punished to think that the "divine providence" avenges those laws that are not eternal?