Two views on the problem of evil: Augustine and Spinoza

The problem of evil is epistemology, politics, ethics, etc. in the history of philosophy. It has been an important issue discussed in many fields. Human being has dealt with this issue, although at different levels since the day of its existence, and has attempted to make sense of these evils. The first thinker of this study, Augustinus addresses the problem of evil in the axis of theodism. Finding the source of evil in the free will of human being, Augustinus became an influential name in medieval thought with the view that God was not responsible for the evil in the universe. Another thinker of the study, Spinoza, who is one of the important names of the Modern Period and Continental rationalists, based the problem of evil on the famous understanding of God / Nature, and made explanations in accordance with the understanding of an immanent God as the main subject. While explaining the problem of evil, he put his understanding of virtue as the path to happiness and hence the good together with the conatus doctrine, which he sees as a tendency to continue to survive, and revealed his understanding of good and bad. In this study, the thoughts of Augustinus and Spinoza about the problem of evil, their understanding of philosophy and their age will be discussed, and the similarities and differences related to the issue in question in two different ages will be highlighted