An inconsistent triad consists of three

proposition In logic and linguistics, a proposition is the meaning of a declarative sentence. In philosophy, " meaning" is understood to be a non-linguistic entity which is shared by all sentences with the same meaning. Equivalently, a proposition is the no ...

s of which at most two can be true. For example: # Alice loves me. # If Alice loves me, then she would have sent flowers. # Alice has not sent flowers. If one finds oneself believing all three propositions of an inconsistent triad, then (in order to be rational) one must give up or modify at least one of those beliefs. Maybe Alice doesn't love me, or maybe she wouldn't send flowers to me if she did, or maybe she actually has sent flowers. Any inconsistent triad gives rise to a

trilemma A trilemma is a difficult choice from three options, each of which is (or appears) unacceptable or unfavourable. There are two logically equivalent ways in which to express a trilemma: it can be expressed as a choice among three unfavourable option ...

Perception and objects

The dialectical framework for the whole discussion of the problem in the philosophy of perception and the theoretical conception of perceptual experience is set out as an inconsistent triad. # Physical objects are mind-independent. # Physical objects are the direct objects of perception. # The direct objects of perception are mind-dependent. The first proposition is defended by realists, while being rejected by anti-realists or

idealists In philosophy, the term idealism identifies and describes metaphysics, metaphysical perspectives which assert that reality is indistinguishable and inseparable from perception and understanding; that reality is a mental construct closely con ...

The problem of evil

The

problem of evil The problem of evil is the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient God.The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,The Problem of Evil, Michael TooleyThe Internet Encycl ...

is often given in the form of an inconsistent triad. For example, J. L. Mackie gave the following three propositions: # God is

omnipotent Omnipotence is the quality of having unlimited power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence only to the deity of their faith. In the monotheistic religious philosophy of Abrahamic religions, omnipotence is often listed as one ...

# God is

omnibenevolent Omnibenevolence (from Latin ''omni-'' meaning "all", ''bene-'' meaning "good" and ''volens'' meaning "willing") is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "unlimited or infinite benevolence". Some philosophers have argued that it is impos ...

Evil Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...

exists Mackie argued that these propositions were inconsistent, and thus, that at least one of these propositions must be false. Either: * God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent, and evil does not exist. * God is omnipotent, but not omnibenevolent; thus, evil exists by God's will. * God is omnibenevolent, but not omnipotent; thus, evil exists, but it is not within God's power to stop it (at least not instantaneously). Many responses have been made to the problem of evil, including the proposition that evil exists as a consequence of a greater good, such as free will; that evil is an illusion; and that evil is necessary for spiritual growth.

References

* Howard-Snyder, F., Howard-Snyder, D., & Wasserman, R. (2009).
The Power of Logic
' (4th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill. (p. 336) {{ISBN, 978-0-07-340737-1 Syllogistic fallacies Theodicy

Perception and objects

The problem of evil

See also

References