God and the Playpen: On the Feasibility of Morally Better Worlds

According to the free will defense, God cannot create a world with creatures, and hence moral goodness, without allowing for possibility of evil. David Lewis points out that any defense must address “playpen problem”: why didn’t allow creatures freedom required while intervening ensure all evil-doing is victimless? More recently, James Sterba has revived playpen problem by arguing an omnipotent benevolent would have intervened prevent significant especially horrendous I argue it possible, at least, such divine intervention backfired, attempt morally better than this one resulted in worse. conclude atheologian should instead attack its roots: either denying predetermination our actions incompatible freely per-forming them, or actual world—a both good evil—is more valuable all.