Understanding the Evil in Nature Through Malthus' Principle of Struggle for Existence

Bogdana Stamenković (University of Belgrade)

The existence of evil represents an attractive problem in philosophy and theology. Darwin’s theory of evolution seems to successfully solve this problem due to the discovery of the principle of natural selection, making the role of an intelligent designer redundant. Yet, this impression is decisive. One can say that Darwin’s theory raised new questions such as: is the existence of an intelligent creator possible in a world shaped by constant struggle for survival and the activity of natural selection?

I will try to provide answers to these questions by reaching beyond Darwin, and focusing on the theory of one of his famous predecessors – Thomas R. Malthus. I will analyze his principle of the struggle for existence and its role in the natural system, and show that this principle has a valuable role in the creation and maintenance of the balance of nature. However, it seems that such a balanced state implies the existence of the so-called natural evil. The events of natural evil, followed by the “harmonical” periods, create a loop that eventually leads toward the creation and preservation of natural equilibrium. Thus, the Malthusian principle of the struggle for existence seems to provide an alternative solution to the problem of evil in nature.