evilsuffering

Evilsuffering is a term used in religious philosophy and ethics to address the relationship between evil and suffering in human life. It acts as a shorthand for the problem of evil, which asks how to reconcile the existence of moral and natural evil with belief in a benevolent, omnipotent deity. The expression is not standardized in classical doctrine, but it appears in contemporary discussions to emphasize that harm and its experiential weight are closely linked rather than completely separable.

Evil typically covers intentional wrongdoing (moral evil) and harm arising from natural processes (natural evil), while suffering refers to the subjective experience of pain, loss, or deprivation. Evilsuffering thus invites examination of why such harms occur, are permitted, or are endured.

Philosophical responses fall into several families. Defenses such as the free will defense attribute moral evil to autonomous agents; soul-making theodicies argue suffering contributes to moral or spiritual growth; and some proponents claim this is the best of all possible worlds. Process theology challenges classical omnipotence, and skeptical theism cautions that human cognition may be too limited to discern divine reasons. Negative accounts deny that harm serves a purpose.

In practice, evilsuffering informs debates on ethics, disaster response, animal welfare, and social justice. Critics argue that the term can be vague or umbrella-like, risking overgeneralization and obscuring differences between kinds of harm.

See also: evil; suffering; problem of evil; theodicy; free will.