Theodicy and Defence

Before continuing, there must first be made a distinction between the Free Will Defence (FWD) and the Free Will Theodicy (FWT.) The FWD is an attempt to rebut the Problem of Evil (PoE).[9] It is an entirely defensive tactic aimed to respond to criticism. In this way Alvin Plantinga's essay[8] is, in part, a response to J. L. Mackie's essay[6] which criticises the problem of evil. On the other hand, the free will theodicy is an attempt to explain why God permits evil. I will briefly go over the free will theodicy for a better understanding of the free will defence.