 The templates used to characterize metaphysical evil above can be applied to empirical evil, too. An Absence Theory of empirical evil construes it simply as the absence of physical-psychological states of pleasure, health, stability, justice, and even life. Matter Theory regards pain, disease, mental malaise, and social ills as effects of our standing as material beings, vulnerable to the “matter” in our organism breaking down or coming into conflict with other parts of material creation. Privation Theory says that empirical evil is the absence of some such good which ought to exist. There will then be different accounts of why the good ought to exist, and why it doesn’t—some of these will be based in a theory of metaphysical evil.