Essay about Milton’s Justification of God - 1163 Words

Milton’s Justification of God In the epic poem Paradise Lost, the author John Milton tells his story of Man’s fall from paradise and God’s punishment on mankind. Milton, in his opening statement, says that he will â€Å"justify the ways of God to men† (Milton 1.26). Milton achieves this purpose by addressing the issues of the paradox of man’s free will and God’s introduction of evil to mankind, and giving a logical explanation as to why each was rightfully intended as part of God’s plan. The argument against God states that if God is the creator of everything and that everything starts in him, and he knows everything that is and will be, then we cannot justify his ways because that implies that he created man knowing man would fall. This†¦show more content†¦With free will comes God’s punishment for disobedience and the introduction of evil by God. The argument saying that God is the origin of evil because everything or iginates from him is a controversial and difficult statement. It is not possible to completely refute this statement as it holds some truth because God is the author of everything in the Christian doctrine, unless one chooses to be blind about the Christian religion. To say that God is evil because of this is also an inaccurate statement. One could refer to Jacques Derrida to justify this action of God. Derrida states that one can not truly know one thing unless one knows what that thing is not; meaning that an object or idea is nothing special if there is nothing to compare it to. Thus man cannot truly know good without knowing evil. So God introducing evil would be necessary for man’s true happiness. This idea is supported by Adam himself after being punished, â€Å"That all this good of evil shall produce, and evil turn to good† (Milton 12.470). Adam is relieved after hearing from the archangel Michael that goodness will come out of their temporary punishment. This shows that God’s actions were necessary for the prolonged happiness of humanity. God in Paradise Lost intended not for a permanent stay in Eden. He had intended for man to prove himself to God, just as the angels did before him. God’s actions towards man are also justifiable in a sense of manShow MoreRelatedMiltons Paradise Lost and His Justification of the Ways of God to Man.1418 Words   |  6 PagesParadise Lost is just that. It is Miltons own take on the biblical story of Satans fall from grace as well as mans fall. Milton was not only armed with an extensive knowledge on the Bible, but in everything a man of his time could learn. With his wisdom he emersed himself into his work, making Paradise Lost not only a tale of epic perportions, but one that would Justify the ways of God to Man. (I 26) Even before reading Paradise Lost, I had always wondered why God allowed evil, and why he allowedRead MoreInnocence or Freewill? A critique of Milton’s Theodicy Using Paradise Lost)1000 Words   |  4 Pagesall. In Paradise Lost, by John Milton, he attempts to present the reasoning behind all the actions on Earth, positive and negative. To fully understand though, you must learn Milton’s theodicy, or the defense of Gods goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil. (â€Å"Theodicy† Merriam-Webster) Part One Milton’s theodicy is his attempt to justify God’s ways to man. Not only does he reference the traditional teachings from the bible, but he elaborates on certain points to better createRead More Predestination in Book III of John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay1643 Words   |  7 Pagesin Book III of Paradise Lost    Miltons purpose in Paradise Lost is nothing less than to assert eternal providence and justify the ways of God to men - a most daunting task.   For Milton to succeed in his endeavour, he has to unravel a number of theologiccal thorns that have troubled christian philosophers for centuries.   Since his epic poem is, essentially, a twelve book argument building to a logical conclusion - the justification of the ways of God to men - he will necessarily have toRead MoreTaking a Look at John Milton1988 Words   |  8 Pageswith Mary Shelly and William Blake but Milton’s career took place during the Late Renaissance and the Restoration Age. Paradise Lost and On His Blindness are two of Milton’s finest works; Milton incorporated the sacred telling’s of the Bible into these two poems by analyzing and elaborating on the teachings of Christianity to a depth that had not previously been reached. The reoccurring theme found in his work are disobedience, eternal provi dence and justification. Milton was not only a poet butRead MoreMilton s Paradise Lost By Milton1203 Words   |  5 PagesIn Milton’s â€Å"Paradise Lost†, Milton undertakes a major feat by justifying the way of God to man, through his re-telling of the Bible in an epic poem. His work has been criticized to be â€Å"of the Devil’s party without knowing it†; however, to take such a binary interpretation of his work undermines its complexity. It is both true and false that he wrote in â€Å"fetters† for god and â€Å"liberty† for the devil, as well justified the way he wrote however the primary question arises w as he conscious or unconsciousRead MoreA Discussion of Milton’s Theodicy in Paradise Lost745 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is free will? Milton explains in Paradise Lost that free will is the answer to the justification of Gods ways to man. There are three parts, or triangle, of theodicy, they are that God is all powerful, all good, yet there are still b ad things that happen. Milton wrote to explain and justify why there are still bad things even though God is all good, and all powerful. Milton’s answer to this is that there is all good and all power, but the bad is not God’s fault. Milton has three key ideas toRead MoreJohn Milton s Paradise Lost1371 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Milton’s Hell John Milton’s Paradise Lost is most known for being one of the last epics ever to be written in literature. Milton’s epic was also extremely known for having one of the most detailed descriptions of Hell since Dante’s Inferno, written in the 14th century. Milton’s 17th century work was centered on the fallen angels of heaven, especially Satan, who were sent to Hell by God. Originally chained to the lake of fire in Hell, the devils are released by God. Milton’s epic then describesRead MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein 1646 Words   |  7 Pagesmirror, reflecting Milton’s Paradise Lost explicitly throughout the text. Milton’s purpose in writing Paradise Lost was to â€Å"justify the way of God to man†, this was successful in the Restoration period but during the Romantic period people were not convinced. Romantics reinterpreted Paradise Lost as the Creator being the cause of all suffering and evil, William Blake put it as â€Å" Milton was secretly of the devil’s party without knowing it.† Shelley’s novel mirrors this idea of justification, in that VictorRead MoreJohn Milton Opens Paradise Lost Essay2170 Words   |  9 Pagesgoal, claiming that his book would be sufficient means by which â€Å"[He might] assert Eternal Providence, / And justify the ways of God to men† (Paradise Lost 1.25-26). So the reader should treat his epic poem as the attempted justification that it is, and ask themselves this: does this argument successfully justify God’s ways? A key—perhaps even the key—part of Milton’s book, and therefore of his argument, is God’s behavior with regards to the fall, whether that be action or lack of action. Thus toRead MoreJohn Milton s Paradise Lost1047 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost explores themes of divine power to justify the ways of God. His portrayal of Satan as the protagonist rather than the vi llain allows reader’s to see that God doesn’t control people’s actions, and that instead we all have free will even though He does have the power to manipulate it. By including Satan’s side to the story as well as his fall, Milton is able to inform readers about the reason for the happy fall as well as include themes of pride, deceit, and communication