Malebranche on the Metaphysics and Ethics of Evil

Abstract The seventeenth century is often regarded as a Golden Age for defending God’s character in the face of undeniable facts of evil. Although his contributions to the problem of evil have been largely overshadowed by Leibniz, Nicolas Malebranche defended philosophically rich and creative views that weave together several of his central commitments in metaphysics, theology, and ethics. After presenting a basic historical and conceptual framework for understanding Malebranche’s views on evil,