Final answer:
The Free Will Defense suggests evil exists due to the necessity of free will for moral goodness, and an all-good deity would not impede human freedom. However, this defense faces challenges in addressing natural evil that cannot be attributed to human actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
One response to the evidential problem of evil against the existence of God is the Free Will Defense. This defense suggests that the presence of evil is a necessary condition for the existence of free will. Proponents of this view, like Augustine, argue that moral evil is not a substance but a privation of good, hence not conflicting with the existence of an all-good deity. In this defense, moral agency and the capability to choose is paramount, and it posits that freedom to choose between good and evil is essential for meaningful moral goodness.
Defenders of the Free Will Defense claim that the capacity for human beings to make free choices is a greater good that justifies the potential for moral evil. Moreover, they contend that an omnibenevolent God would not violate the freedom of human will, even if it means allowing evil actions to occur. Philosophically, this also implies that God's omnipotence is compatible with the existence of evil, as it cannot coerce free beings without contradicting their free nature.
However, critics point out that the defense struggles to address the issue of natural evil, such as natural disasters, which occur without human agency. They argue that the Free Will Defense does not explain why an omnipotent and omniscient deity would create a world with the potential for such suffering that is not the direct result of human choice.