The Ethics Of Pain

Abstract

Pain is a part of everyone’s life; it is inescapable. There is not one person who has ever lived who has not experienced some sort of pain. Over the millennia, philosophers have tried different approaches to deal with it. Zeno just accepted it as the way of the universe; the Buddha tried to transcend it by relieving himself of all cravings. Christian philosophers try to explain pain in relation to the ultimate plan of the Christian God, a God of complete goodness, Who is Love Itself. However, whatever their approach, each Christian philosopher must eventually come up with an answer to the age-old Theodicy question: How can a God Who is infinitely good and loving allow evil, especially the evil of suffering, in His creation? This thesis, which proves pain is ethical, is my answer to the Theodicy question. Based on this answer, my thesis also develops a Christian response to pain. This response will be an ethics of pain