Final answer:
Edward Herbert addressed the problem of evil by attributing it to human free will and the fall, as well as considering the process of soul-making for spiritual growth. Dissenting views like Leibniz's consider evil a human concept, challenging the notion of a flawed divine design.
Step-by-step explanation:
Edward Herbert approached the problem of evil by examining the contradiction between the existence of an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent deity and the presence of evil in the world. Herbert, aligning with the teachings of St. Augustine, suggested that evil is the result of human free will and the fall from grace, which introduces moral evil. Furthermore, the concept of soul-making indicates that the presence of evil serves as a means for human spiritual development, transforming the human being from mere biological life (bios) to a state of divine love and spirituality (zoe). Contrasting views, like those of Leibniz, reframe evil as a human construct, dissolving the philosophical conflict and questioning the very notion of evil as independent from human conceptual frameworks.
The evidential problem of evil, as well as natural evil, pose significant challenges to theistic belief systems, suggesting that if a deity allows natural disasters and suffering without clear moral growth, it may weaken the argument for a perfectly good divine being.
Ultimately, the problem of evil requires rigorous evaluation of the concepts and ideas surrounding the nature of the deity, the origins of moral and natural evil, and the justification of these in the context of a world where suffering exists.