2. Miracles: Hume (An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding)
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 17-06-17 21:30
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- 2. Miracles: Hume (An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding)
- Miracles are the violation of law by a supernatural being
- Miracles have not occurred previously, but it is still reasonable to say they occur
- However, they are the least likely of events
- Christianity is based upon miracles, so it is necessary to believe in them to believe
- "mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity (accuracy)"
- All religious belief is contrary to human experience and logic (against a priori knowledge)
- Questions the validity of miracles
- There is insufficient testimony
- Those who testify miracles may be deceived, deluded or lying.
- Cannot trust this is not the case
- Miracles are improbable events
- So they need witnesses of higher credulity than probable events
- In order to confirm a miracle, there must be a significant number of witnesses with sound education
- For a miracle to be confirmed, it would have to be a greater miracle that the event did not take place
- The most impressive testimony will at most counterbalance the unlikelihood of the event, not confirm that it actually happened
- Dd not specify how many witnesses and of what level of education
- Those who testify miracles may be deceived, deluded or lying.
- People that claim miracles have a tendency to believe
- Humans are naturally drawn to the miraculous and love being 'dazzled' by the mysterious, so can form unreasonable beliefs on experiences which cannot be trusted
- Ideas should be rejected are instead perpetuated
- Is it sufficient to deny all miracles of any credibility due to this?
- Skepticism has been wrong
- e.g. European scientists initially denied the existence of the duck-billed platypus despite the evidence
- Miracles arise from ignorant and barbarous nations
- Stories of miracles from 'primitive and barbarous' nations that do not understand what is really (scientifically) happening
- e.g. miracle of dancing sun at Fatima, Portugal, may have been a result of staring at the sun too long, causing retinal distortion
- However, this is an arrogant and in many ways unfounded argument, as claims about miracles come from all cultures and not isolated to "ignorant" ones
- Highly intellectual people exist within the Religion, e.g. former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is currently a Cambridge professor
- Miracles are contrary facts
- Claims of miracles come from many different sources
- Many religious beliefs are based on miracles
- People of different faiths all claim that their religious experience is evidence that their beliefs system is true
- Each claim counters those made by other religions
- Not all miracles can be right as they cancel each other out, so they must all be wrong
- Are miracles the basis of religions?
- James would argue not, that deeper feelings and personal views are central, theology is secondary.
- If laws of nature are not fixed, then it is possible for God to carry out miracles
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