Nick Trakakis
Encyclopedia
Nick Trakakis is a philosopher at Monash University
in Australia
, and during 2006-2007 was postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame
. He works mainly at the intersections of philosophy (in both the analytic
and continental
traditions), religion, and theology.
, before going on to receive a First Class Honours in Philosophy from the University of Melbourne
. His doctoral research, undertaken at Monash University, concentrated on the so-called ‘evidential problem of evil’, that is, the problem of determining whether the existence of human and animal suffering
provides good evidence against the existence of God
. A revised version of his thesis was published by Springer
under the title of The God Beyond Belief.
of God, determinist
models of divine providence
, Wittgensteinian non-realism, and the doctrine of karma
. In theology and church history, he has published his views on the ordination of women
, the infallibility of the church
, the iconoclast
controversy, and the work of Gregory Palamas
.
This conclusion is based on, first, the rejection the sceptical theist's appeal to mystery, and second, the inadequacy of standard theodicies
to explain the existence of natural evil
.
Trakakis argues that there is no good reason to accept the currently popular ‘sceptical theist’ response to the evidential problem of evil – that is, the response that we do not know, and we cannot be expected to know, what God’s reasons are for permitting evil. Trakakis has, for example, argued that the sceptical theist position of Kirk Durston — a position which maintains that the complexity of history is such that we cannot pass judgement on the overall moral value of any particular historical event — leads to an implausible form of moral scepticism.
Trakakis also maintains that some of the major theodicies that have been offered by theists (e.g., the free will
theodicy, the soul-making theodicy) fail to explain why God would permit various types of evil, particularly ‘natural evil’ or suffering brought about by natural processes (e.g., natural disasters). However, he does believe that the free-will theodicy may succeed in explaining at least some kinds of moral evil. On this issue, Joel Thomas Tierno has argued against Trakakis that human freedom alone can not account for all instances of moral evil, given the scale on which we find it distributed in the world.
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and during 2006-2007 was postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He works mainly at the intersections of philosophy (in both the analytic
Analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy is a generic term for a style of philosophy that came to dominate English-speaking countries in the 20th century...
and continental
Continental philosophy
Continental philosophy, in contemporary usage, refers to a set of traditions of 19th and 20th century philosophy from mainland Europe. This sense of the term originated among English-speaking philosophers in the second half of the 20th century, who used it to refer to a range of thinkers and...
traditions), religion, and theology.
Education
Nick Trakakis completed a Bachelor of Theology degree at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College (Sydney, Australia) and a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of New England, AustraliaUniversity of New England, Australia
The University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....
, before going on to receive a First Class Honours in Philosophy from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. His doctoral research, undertaken at Monash University, concentrated on the so-called ‘evidential problem of evil’, that is, the problem of determining whether the existence of human and animal suffering
Suffering
Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical or mental. It may come in all degrees of intensity, from mild to intolerable. Factors of duration and...
provides good evidence against the existence of God
Existence of God
Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, scientists, and others. In philosophical terms, arguments for and against the existence of God involve primarily the sub-disciplines of epistemology and ontology , but also of the theory of value, since...
. A revised version of his thesis was published by Springer
Springer Science+Business Media
- Selected publications :* Encyclopaedia of Mathematics* Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete * Graduate Texts in Mathematics * Grothendieck's Séminaire de géométrie algébrique...
under the title of The God Beyond Belief.
Work
In a number of journal articles and in his recent monograph, The God Beyond Belief, Trakakis considers various aspects of the evidential problem of evil, particularly as this has been formulated and developed by William Rowe. Trakakis has also written about such topics in the philosophy of religion as the omnipotenceOmnipotence
Omnipotence is unlimited power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence to only the deity of whichever faith is being addressed...
of God, determinist
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
models of divine providence
Divine providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
, Wittgensteinian non-realism, and the doctrine of karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
. In theology and church history, he has published his views on the ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
, the infallibility of the church
Infallibility of the Church
The Infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching under certain circumstances...
, the iconoclast
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
controversy, and the work of Gregory Palamas
Gregory Palamas
Gregory Palamas was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later the Archbishop of Thessaloniki known as a preeminent theologian of Hesychasm. The teachings embodied in his writings defending Hesychasm against the attack of Barlaam are sometimes referred to as Palamism, his followers as Palamites...
.
The evidential argument from evil
The main conclusion reached by Trakakis is that Rowe’s evidential argument from evil, or a version thereof, succeeds in showing that the existence of certain kinds of evil provides strong evidence against the existence of God. The possibility, however, is always left open that there may well be other evidence in support of the existence of God which outweighs or defeats the evidence of evil.This conclusion is based on, first, the rejection the sceptical theist's appeal to mystery, and second, the inadequacy of standard theodicies
Theodicy
Theodicy is a theological and philosophical study which attempts to prove God's intrinsic or foundational nature of omnibenevolence , omniscience , and omnipotence . Theodicy is usually concerned with the God of the Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, due to the relevant...
to explain the existence of natural evil
Natural evil
Natural evil, or surd evil, is a term generally used in discussions of the problem of evil and theodicy that refers to states of affairs which, considered in themselves, are to be avoided and not to be promoted, and for which no agent is morally responsible...
.
Trakakis argues that there is no good reason to accept the currently popular ‘sceptical theist’ response to the evidential problem of evil – that is, the response that we do not know, and we cannot be expected to know, what God’s reasons are for permitting evil. Trakakis has, for example, argued that the sceptical theist position of Kirk Durston — a position which maintains that the complexity of history is such that we cannot pass judgement on the overall moral value of any particular historical event — leads to an implausible form of moral scepticism.
Trakakis also maintains that some of the major theodicies that have been offered by theists (e.g., the free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
theodicy, the soul-making theodicy) fail to explain why God would permit various types of evil, particularly ‘natural evil’ or suffering brought about by natural processes (e.g., natural disasters). However, he does believe that the free-will theodicy may succeed in explaining at least some kinds of moral evil. On this issue, Joel Thomas Tierno has argued against Trakakis that human freedom alone can not account for all instances of moral evil, given the scale on which we find it distributed in the world.
Publications
In his current research, Trakakis is exploring various approaches to the philosophy of religion, focusing in particular on analytic and Continental approaches. He has also published two volumes of poetry and philosophical reflections, Tears (2005) and Silent Transfigurations (2006), with a third volume (Via Dolorosa) forthcoming.Selected papers
- “An Epistemically Distant God? A Critique of John Hick’s Response to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness”, The Heythrop Journal 48 (2007): 214-26.
- “Rowe’s New Evidential Argument from Evil: Problems and Prospects”, Sophia: International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysical Theology and Ethics, vol. 45, no. 1, May 2006, pp.57-77.
- “An Interview with the Very Rev. Dr. Themistocles Adamopoulo, Apostle to the Poor and Oppressed”, Theandros: An Online Journal of Orthodox Christian Theology and Philosophy, vol. 3, no. 2, Winter 2005/2006. (Available online)
Books
- William Rowe on Philosophy of Religion: Selected Works (Editor), Ashgate Publishing, 2007. ISBN 075465558X.
- The God Beyond Belief: In Defence of William Rowe’s Evidential Argument from Evil. Springer, 2006. ISBN 1402051441.
- Silent Transfigurations. Southwood Press, 2006. ISBN 0646462296.
- Tears: 1993-2005. ISBN 0646449540.
External links
- Web page at Monash. Includes a more complete list of publication.
- "The Evidential Problem of Evil". His article at the Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyInternet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyThe Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a free online encyclopedia on philosophical topics and philosophers founded by James Fieser in 1995. The current general editors are James Fieser and Bradley Dowden...
.