Gastvortrag von Prof. Dr. David S. Oderberg (University of Reading): „The Metaphysics of Good and Evil: Key Themes“ [Plakat]

Seminarraum VI der Theologischen Fakultät (Karl-Rahner-Platz 3, 1. Stock)

25.03.2020: Aufgrund der derzeitigen unsicheren Situation rund um die Verbreitung von COVID-19 muss der Gastvortrag leider abgesagt werden.

I will present some of the leading ideas from my latest book, The Metaphysics of Good and Evil. An outline of the overall structure of the book will be followed by an account of the relation between the act/potency distinction and goodness, whereby we construct a defence of the convertibility of being and goodness. The defence of inorganic goodness is a key element of the book, and I will explain and defend it at length. The theory of evil defended is the Aristotelian-Thomistic privation theory, which I will present and defend against some important objections. The talk will finish with a discussion of some broader issues, in particular what I call the ‘mystery of evil’, as opposed to the traditional problem of evil. 

David S. Oderberg is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading, England. He is the author of many articles in metaphysics, ethics, philosophy of religion, and other subjects. His books include Moral Theory: A Non-Consequentialist Approach (Blackwell, 2000), Applied Ethics: A Non-Consequentialist Approach (Blackwell, 2000), Real Essentialism (Routledge, 2007), and Opting Out: Conscience and Cooperation in a Pluralistic Society (Institute of Economic Affairs, 2018). His latest book is The Metaphysics of Good and Evil (Routledge, 2019), which develops the George Hourani Lectures on Ethics delivered at the State University of New York, Buffalo, in 2013. He is also the editor of several collections on ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Prof. Oderberg edits Ratio, an international journal of analytic philosophy.